Remnants of the Past
by Syaoron the Fox
Summary: Time... it's a funny thing. 13 days have passed since the Solaris incident, and only those involved can remember anything about it. Silver is still heartbroken over Blaze's dissapearence, since restoring time didn't fix anything. Desperate for his friend, he adventures through time to bring her back. But, with an enemy lurking, what madness will ensue in the time stream?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Well viewers, thanks to popular demand, I'm bringing this story! Mind you, this will be a very abstract story, and not something you see every day, so bear with me.**

**Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything from Sega or Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Chameleon is property of Nobel Six.**

**Claimer: I claim and own this plot and chracters not affiliated with the above mentioned.**

* * *

Time… the ever elusive manifestation of all our being. It is what guides and constructs our day, ticking away the minutes till our next class in school, or the next meeting with the board of directives, or maybe even your next use of the restroom. Without time, we are unstable, and we cannot plan for anything in the future, and thus we have it. Without time, we are chaotic and crazed.

But, what is time? We see it in the form of clocks, watches, and alarms; maybe even in the timer of your kitchen stove. Then, there are the more natural forms of time: the passing of the sun, the circling of the shadows, and the aging of things. That is its physical manifestation, but what is time, really? What, in the essence of the word, is _time_?

Time cannot be described physically, for it is not an entity. Time is not a thing, nor is it a person or place. Rather, time can be seen in mere metaphor. There are those that believe that time doesn't exist; that it is an illusion our minds have created to keep us sane. But, it is impossible, for there is too much to contradict that possibility.

There is the string theory of time and quantum mechanics that is the most well received explanation of _time. _The basics of the theory is that there are an infinite amount of universes existing simultaneously, each different because of simple decisions people like ourselves make.

For example, let's assume that you're standing in your living room. You want to get a bite to eat, but you don't know whether or not you should wash your hands first in the bathroom. If you take even one step, you've just created another universe, because of your decision. There is no past, only the present because in making that decision, there are several more outcomes that could've happened, in which case more universes must be made or adjusted to accompany it.

There are an infinite amount of possibilities in this world, and therefore, an infinite number of parallel universes. If you go up to the bathroom first to wash your hands, in another universe, there is another you that decided just to get a bite to eat without washing his hands. And then, in other universes, you may have other choices because of previous events that are always differed because of the millions and billions of choices made in the past. Have you ever had a moment where you want to go back and change something? No need to worry. Somewhere in another universe, you did it just right.

However, the string theory presents several problems with other means of science, such as time travel. Surely, if there are infinite universes, how is time travel possible? It would no longer be time travel; it would be traveling across the dimensional plane, which is relatively impossible. Therefore, your only option is time travel. Assuming that you had the capability for such things, you would need something to meld the multiple universes into one to accommodate for this.

Luckily for time-travelers, the very first time travel ever initiated with chaos energy did all of that for you, abolishing the string theory. Now, there is one set path. But also, we must now perceive time differently. Now, rather than multiple ponds and puddles in our multiverse swamp, it is a single universal stream. The stream can be seen as rapidly flowing, dragging all others along with you.

But, for time travel to work, there must be an infinite amount of instances in the past holding everyone. Thus there is, and time travel is made possible. However, in this instance, we realize that we can only ever go back in the time stream, for the future is not destined.

But the one question beheld by all time-travelers is this: Can you take a dip in that portion of the stream without causing ripples? Of course not; simply by existing in the past changes events in the future, or your present. No matter how miniscule the event, from placement of dust and objects, to complete calamities, something is changed.

But, what if your reality was changed in such a way that some things never happened, but other things still did that coincided with the canceled event, only because of an instance involving an abolished god? In this case, a false future still exists, but it is being slowly overwritten. What unfortunate souls would be affected by such an anomaly? Let's lay our eyes on the only one, shall we?

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"Early on in human history, we decided to start measuring the days and weeks, and eventually hours, minutes and seconds. Time was useful in organizing society, planting crops and getting ready for dates. Things worked extremely well until scientists started muddling it all up."__**–Morgan Freeman**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Time and Time Again**_

**^/\^|v\/v**

Soleanna

September-18-2506

12:45 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Trouble" by: Coldplay**__]_

The great city of Soleanna was bustling as usual, with people traveling to and fro, from job to job and from place to place. It was on a day like this that a white hedgehog was sat upon one of the three historical bell towers that were in the city. He looked down on the rushing humans, all with places to go and people to see. Littered among the populace were Mobians as well. Soleanna was one of the few places on Mobius where humans and Mobians coincided. In most other cases, they refused to make contact.

He wondered what they were all going about life for. Was it for family? Or maybe they needed to pay for their friends and loved ones? Maybe they just wanted the money for themselves? In any case, they were all rushing around, be it to home or to work, or even out to lunch. As for the hedgehog, he was always out, not having a specific home for himself, but he was certainly here for lunch.

He took a bite out of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was in his gloved hand. As he chewed, he looked at his free hand, which was also gloved. The cuffs of the glove were thick and golden and the palm had a small, glowing blue circle outline in the middle. The hedgehog in question had psychokinetic powers, and thus his apparel was only for enhancement.

As he sat, crouched, he stared back down at his feet and eyed his boots. While mostly black, they had a white stripe going down the middle and the toes were tipped with a neon blue, and another set of gold cuffs finished the top of the boots.

In any case, after swallowing his bite, the hedgehog let out a dreadful sigh. His thoughts at the moment were none too light, as they'd been bothering him for the past thirteen days. According to he and a few of his friends, those thirteen days ago were when he, Sonic the hedgehog, and Shadow the hedgehog had gathered the Chaos Emeralds–seven very powerful gems–and stopped the sun god 'Solaris' from destroying reality. Of course, according to anyone else, nothing had happened because of a space-time paradox that was initiated. He thought time would return to normal, and his greatest friend would return… no, his beloved rather.

But no, it wasn't meant to be. She was still gone, and reality wasn't quite fixed enough for him. He would've asked for help, but those friends were far spread and scarce. Sonic had gone back around the world, probably on another adventure and most likely leaving his friends in the dust again. The white hedgehog gritted his teeth as he thought of the disloyalty the blue hedgehog had presented to his friends.

Shadow had probably gone off, with GUN giving him orders all over the place to apprehend Eggman, a megalomaniacal scientist who was bent on world domination. As for another one of his friends, Miles 'Tails' Prower the Fox, he hadn't seen the kit since those thirteen days ago.

He imagined that another one of his acquaintances, a red echidna by the name of Knuckles, was back at his floating isle, guarding the legendary Master Emerald.

Everything that happened… only they remembered it. It was a blessing and a curse at times, that they knew the world was almost destroyed and that they saved it. For him, it only reminded him of his dear friends: Blaze the Cat.

Her fur was a creamy violet and it blended with the royal purples of her dress which was rimmed with red and collared with gold. The hair on her head was tied back with a red band, and upon her forehead was crested a crimson jewel. She wore white leggings to refine herself often and she wore purple hoes on her feet, which had a white stripe perpendicular to the shoe. He often wondered how, even with the slight raise on her heels, she was able to run.

Before time was changed, they lived in a future that was destroyed by a creature called Iblis. In truth, Iblis was half of the Solaris god, but that mattered not when their entire city was in flames. When she sealed Iblis within herself, he remembered so clearly her last words: "You're still so naïve… but I guess, that's what I like about you." That was what she said before she disappeared into an alternate dimension, taking Iblis with her.

He snapped his eyes open and sighed again, trying to clear her from his thoughts, yet he knew it wouldn't work. She'd been on his mind for days, and it would never quit bothering him. When he looked to his side, he saw her in a faint silhouette; a shadow of what his mind wanted. "What's the matter, Silver?" the apparition asked him, to which he merely sighed.

Silver shook his head and just looked back down, knowing that it was just an illusion. He sifted his hand through the image and it promptly disappeared. "Where's the real you when I need you?" he muttered, even though no one was around to hear his plead. His only lead to finding her was that she was hidden away in a pocket dimension to keep the Iblis from the future at bay.

He then perked his head up as he remembered what she had told him once. Supposedly, in coexistence with the Chaos Emeralds, there were seven octagonal gems of unknown origin and similar properties called the _Sol Emeralds. _Where the Chaos Emeralds had the power to manipulate time, the Sol Emeralds had the power to control the dimensions and space.

He reached into the quills atop his head and retrieved a small glowing white gem. It was shaped with a point at the bottom which widened toward a circular top, and it was cleanly cut, as if by some unearthly power. Surely, if these mystical stones existed, then so would the Sol Emeralds.

However, as the Chaos Emeralds had once again dispersed because of the use of all seven simultaneously, he only had one in his position. He shook his head, realizing that it wouldn't matter, and he muttered the incantation, "Chaos control."

In a blink of bright light he vanished from the spot, leaving to search for the Sol Emeralds, and eventually, his beloved.

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

_[Now Playing: __**"If" by: Acoustic Eidolon**__]_

At the same moment, away in the Soleanna Forest, a young fox kit was resting beneath a tree. On such a warm day, it felt nice to rest beneath the shade of the tall oak. As the wind whisked across the plane, the kit fluttered his eyes open with a sigh.

The calm kit was a strange figure, having two tails extending from his spine rather than the normal one. With these tails, he accomplished many things, such as the capability of flight and the ability to run at higher speeds that he could on his own. Even then, his running speed was impressive; fast enough to at least keep up with the speedy blue hedgehog by the name of Sonic… when he wasn't traveling supersonic.

Regardless of his tails, the kit also had a high intelligence. With an I.Q. of 300, it was impressive enough to best some of the world's leading scientists and enough to match Eggman's. Yes, this young child achieved many remarkable things in his short time of life.

As he gazed into the passing clouds on that day, he happened to spot one in the shape of a rose, with the layers and all… all except for the thorny stem. He smiled sadly as he reminisced on times in the past and spoke softly, "It's nice to get a greeting from you every now and then, Cosmo."

Cosmo was a Petali girl from the distant planet of Greengate who requested their help some time ago, before the Solaris incident. When a group of aliens known as the Metarex began to attack planets and harvest their Planet Eggs–the life force of planets–he had piloted his space ship, the "Blue Typhoon", into space to face this threat. The entire war ended when Cosmo sacrificed herself to destroy the final Metarex leader.

Tails–the fox, I mean–was madly in love with the girl, and was crushed by her death, and even more so that he was the one who pulled the final trigger. With some counseling from his friends though, he was finally able to come out of his house after two years and he experienced the world anew.

He, of course, wondered where Sonic had run off to after the Solaris incident, but he never pondered it much. The hedgehog could never be kept in one place for long, always wanting to explore the world. And, wherever he went, Eggman wasn't far from him. In this way, Sonic drew fire from the evil fat man and continued to keep the world at peace.

As Tails drifted his eyes over the scene and spotted what seemed to be an island in the sky. He smiled pleasantly at the island, knowing it wasn't in his imagination. It was always around this time of year when Angel Island drifted over Soleanna.

It was on Angel Island that the echidna by the name of Knuckles guarded the Master Emerald. The red echidna was a good friend of Tails', having helped him and Sonic on several occasions. However, the echidna was often short tempered, and he was displeased by anyone messing with the Master Emerald. Not even the closest of Knuckles' friends were allowed to mess with his precious Master Emerald.

As Tails slowly sat up, he realized that it was about lunchtime, and he was hungry. Luckily, he'd packed himself a picnic lunch since he knew he wouldn't want to leave for a while. As he reached inside a small basket and retrieved a small apple, he took a single bite out of it, resulting in a crunching sound.

Since he'd been inactive for those two years after the Metarex incident, he had become unhealthy. Of course, that was another year ago. Now, since he'd been changing his diet and going on his morning runs again, he was back to his healthy physique.

After chomping the apple to its core, he discarded it in the bushes and fetched a drumstick from the basket. He hadn't gone completely vegetarian, as that would have driven him insane since he's a natural carnivore. However, he had lessened his meat intake.

He then felt through his tail fur and noticed that the yellow Chaos Emerald he had was beginning to shine intensely. At this, the kit frowned. He knew all the emeralds had been gathered by their friends and none of them would react this way… not unless their power was being used. He assumed it might've been Shadow, but he always worried about things like this. It could be anything, from a simple teleportation to a fierce attack.

However, as he drew on the heat and power of the emerald, he began to feel the feelings that came from the one using it. He felt a sense of sadness and loss, but confusion and determination was also present. That didn't sound like Shadow to him, but he felt himself empathizing with these feelings… they were the same ones he felt when Cosmo was lost.

He then stood up straight, and almost knocked over his picnic basket as he remembered the final person who'd been given an emerald. He ran off, knocking his basket over, with only one name on his mind: "Silver."

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

Master Emerald Altar, Angel Island

September-18-2506

12:50 Mobius Time

The Master Emerald alter on Angel Island was a sight to behold. Crafted of beautiful marble, the altar remained pristine, even after years of wear and tear from the elements. While the large green jewel sat atop a small pedestal, Knuckles laid in front of it, guarding it with utmost care.

It was an Angel Island echidnae tradition that the son of the chief was to be trained to guard the emerald. The training these echidnae went through was tough, but they gained extreme strength in the sense that it was unmatched except by other echidnae of the same, harsh training schedule.

However, with the rest of the Angel Island echidnae wiped out by the ancient god of chaos energy, Knuckles was the only one left to continue the tradition. It was thus his sworn duty to forever guard the gem, and when he couldn't be next to it, he took the gem with him by shrinking it with chaos energy.

Today though; it would be another gorgeous day. With the wind blowing across the plains, he could see almost the entire island on this clear day. In the current time, he was enjoying his day by taking a snooze by the emerald. A small orange butterfly, seeing the echidna's peaceful rest, decided to seat itself down on the tip of his nose.

Knuckles, though still asleep, began to twitch his nose in discomfort. Tingling sensations ran all across his nose, and the way it twittered, you'd have thought his nose was some kind of toy you'd give to a dog. Eventually though, the butterfly's fun ended and the echidna woke from his slumber, sleepily swatting at the thing on his nose.

As the insect flew away and was carried by the wind, Knuckles groaned and scratched the back of his head, not wanting to have been woken up. He was having a nice dream too; something about ice cream that he could no longer remember.

As he slowly picked himself up and stretched his back out, he noticed that Master Emerald was shining with a mysterious green light. Knuckles, having guarded the emerald for years, knew that this was quite a common occurrence, and it happened every time the spirits embedded within the emerald wished to talk to him. He thusly walked up to the gem and placed his hands on it, awaiting the message.

However, rather than being given a message, Knuckles saw a flash of light and blinked. Upon opening his eyes, he realized that he was no longer at the altar. Instead, he saw two figures before him.

One was an orange echidna, wearing tribal clothing from the olden tribe of echidnae, named Tikal. She seemed to have an aura of glee about her as she looked over to the other figure, which was humanoid in shape. However, the being was made of water and had large green eyes. His brain was visible through the water. This was Chaos, the god of all chaos energy that destroyed the early tribes of echidnae when they tried to be greedy and use the power of the Master Emerald for conquest.

It surprised him slightly, since visions weren't as common as other messages that he received from the Master Emerald. Even with confusion upon him, Knuckles knelt before the two and asked, "What is it that you want, Tikal?" He made sure that he was always respectful of the duo since they were legends in the history of the echidnae.

"It's not of our wants, Knuckles," she cryptically replied while giving him a concerned look. "We have discovered recently that Silver is on the lookout for the Sol Emeralds."

Knuckles raised a brow to the spirit. They rarely ever discussed the Sol Emeralds and it was of little matter this time since Silver was going after them. "I don't understand," he told her. "What matter of importance does this concern me with?"

He then heard Chaos speak… or rather, he garbled incomprehensibly. The being had no means of communication, except through Tikal, and he thusly brought a hand over the area where his mouth would be in embarrassment. With a chuckle, Tikal translated, "It's not specifically Silver who's the problem. We think that someone else is trying to gather up the Sol Emeralds, though we don't know who, and we don't know their whereabouts."

"Once again, how does this concern me?"

"Knuckles, use your head!" the orange echidna exclaimed. "Don't you remember the Sol Emerald in your possession? We think that someone might come for you, and that worries us."

The red echidna only frowned. Tikal was never one to underestimate someone, and he didn't expect her to start now. If she thought this guy was bad news, then she was serious. With a nod, he assured her with courageousness that the Master Emerald would be well protected in the Hidden Palace. With another concerned nod, the entire vision dissipated before his eyes and he was standing in front of the Master Emerald again.

He promptly gathered chaos energy and shrunk the Master Emerald down into his palm before traversing across the lands of Angel Island, to a labyrinth hidden in the mountains where the Hidden Palace was located. He had a gut feeling that whoever was coming, they would be arriving soon… and whoever it was, meant business.

^/\^|v\/v

XXXXXXXXXXX

September-18-2506

16:26 Mobius Time

Nearly the entire room was black, aside from the blue torches that dimly lit it. A lone figure walked down the row of columns to greet the being at the end. The area his master often sat in was pitch black; so dark that the dim blue torches made the rest of the room look like it was a Broadway stage during a performance in comparison.

In the light of a single torch, the figure knelt and revealed himself. The black chameleon looked up towards his master, showing the light a scar that ran across his left eye and green scores that seemed out of place on his black body. He was wearing a black body suit with two katanas strapped to his back and several other weapons littered about his person. The horn on his face though was chipped off partly and was a crystalline white, though it seemed blue in the glow.

"What is it that you want, master?" he asked to the figure that was so shrouded in darkness that he seemed invisible.

If anything could be identified about the figure, it was his deep voice as he spoke, "It is time for us to begin our plan, Chameleon. I am sure you're aware of the targets?"

"Yes," Chameleon affirmed. "The three targets-"

"Two targets, Chameleon," the shrouded figure corrected him, "Just Miles Prower and Knuckles the Echidna."

The chameleon cocked his head to the side, rather confused. "What of the third target, Silver the Hedgehog, sir?"

"He will come to us," the shrouded figure reassured his companion. "Given that you provide the proper bait, he will walk right into our hands."

"By bait, you refer to one of his friends, correct?" Chameleon questioned again, trying to clarify everything.

"You presume correctly," the chameleon's master spoke. "The kit will make decent bait. Once we have them, I will reveal the next parts of our plan."

Though confused by the sudden change in his master's plans, Chameleon discarded all thoughts of questioning. The will of his master was absolute, and he lived to perform to the best of his ability. With a sigh the reptile stood on his feet and turned around sharply, exiting the room so as to complete his objective as quickly as possible.

He grinned gleefully as he returned to the darkness, showing his razor sharp teeth. Things would finally begin to piece together now, and the beginning of the end was nigh. Now would begin their conquest.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: With this, things will start coming together after a confusing first chapter. The story will progress slower than my others, but please bear with.**

**Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything from Sega or Sonic '06. Chameleon is property of Nobel Six.**

**Claimer: I own this plot and all characters not affiliated with the above mentioned.**

* * *

Wave Ocean

September-19-2506

6:54 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Imagine" by: John Lennon**__]_

It was early in the morning the next day when we could find the white hedgehog sitting on the seaside of the Wave Ocean. The waves softly caressed the shore nearby and broke lightly against the miscellaneous rocks and miniature islands out in the bay. He took the wind in with a sigh as he reminisced on times he spent with Blaze…

It was here, by the dock, where they'd finally regrouped after being separated for so long by a mishap in time travel. He chuckled softly as he remembered all the times he was without her. Every single time they were separated, it felt like he couldn't do anything right. She was always his guiding light to him; his northern star. Without her, he felt lost. Maybe the term that he was looking for was incompetent, but he knew that wasn't what he was. He had at least some competence.

No, it was the term that Blaze had always used… naïve: showing lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment. The other definition though was something that he wondered if Blaze would use to describe him also; to be natural or unaffected; innocent, one might say. What if… maybe she'd liked him all along, and calling him naïve was just a way of expressing it?

He sighed, realizing that he'd let his chance with her slip away. He then balled a fist in determination, determined to get her back. He'd find the Sol Emeralds and bring her back from the other dimension. He swore this as the sun began to slowly rise… but it was easier said than done.

He hadn't a clue where to find the first Sol Emerald. He had no tracking devices and no capabilities to detect their energies. He hadn't even a lead to start off with. At this, he hung his head. He wasn't prepared for this. It was a journey in which he could scrounge the entire world and not find anything. What he needed was help.

But, who would help him? Sonic was more than less likely to be somewhere on the other side of the world, so he wouldn't be helping him any time soon. As for Shadow… he was just too busy to even care. He marked off the list of people who couldn't help him, fishing out only one person who was possibly willing enough to help him and had the capability to do so.

He always heard that Tails had a radar of sorts that helped him find the emeralds. The Chaos Emeralds of course, but the signature of chaos energy was what was really detected. Perhaps Tails was the only being on this planet that could help him. He took a look back, noting that Soleanna wasn't as far as most people make it out to be from the ocean. He thusly stood up and began to glow with turquoise wisps of energy.

It was his psychokinetic abilities that enabled him to lift and move many things, including himself. With a resolve to find his two tailed companion, he floated off in the direction of Soleanna, hoping he would get a lead to the kit's position.

_[Stop Music]_

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"I guess by now I should know enough about loss to realize that you never really stop missing someone-you just learn to live around the huge gaping hole of their absence."__**–Alyson Noel**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Abduction**_

**^/\^|v\/v**

Angel Island

September-19-2506

9:52 Mobius Time

It had taken Chameleon much of the waking hours to cross the vast landscape of Angel Island. He never knew that the floating isle could possibly be so huge. Then again, that was the magnificent power of the Master Emerald. Not only did the large green jewel keep the Chaos Emeralds' power in check, it also kept the island afloat as long as it was directly connected to the island.

As he ventured from the far side of the island, he finally managed to scale the top of the mountain. He shivered slightly as snow and wind blew in the air. Not only was the floating island large, it had a wide variety of climates and environments, from tropical forests to these cold, barren mountains. The diversity of the area was nearly incomprehensible and it made Chameleon wonder how much the climate relied on this elevation.

He shook his head as he began to make his way down the mountain with a swift run. Climbing up was the hard part, and it was all downhill from there on out. With his quick reactions and steady foot placement, the simple dash down the mountain would only take about ten minutes, a great difference from the one and a half hours it took to scale it.

He felt the brisk air soon dissipate, giving way to much warmer climates. The scenery soon became less rock and snow as trees and grass soon entered the scene. While he experienced the changes in temperature and surrounding, Chameleon's thoughts were hardly on the topic of climate.

He wondered how good of a challenge the echidna would be if he was as strong of an opponent as his master had claimed him to be. He was told that the emerald guardian had trained for years to perform the task of protecting the Master Emerald. He shook his head as he drew on all the possible factors of his personality. He was easily enraged lived alone on this island, with rarely anyone to test his strength. He was probably a confident person… maybe too confident for his own good. He smirked with a toothy smile as he saw that this would work to his advantage.

As he walked through the forests, he sniffed in the jungle air and breathed a sigh of content. It was calming for the time being, allowing him to fully release all his anxiety. While he wasn't too anxious, he knew it had to be released anyway. He didn't want to get carried away after all. His master preferred his captives _alive._

He brushed aside a few bushes to reveal small clearing where the Master Emerald's alter lay. He looked upon the temple-like structure with utmost interest, impressed by the architectural design of it. Chameleon then looked to its highest point and noted the red sleeping figure that was his target. With narrowed eyes, he approached silently…

^/\^|v\/v

Soleanna Castle Town

September-19-2506

10:00 Mobius Time

In the early rise of Soleanna's people, a dark skinned human walked to the locked door of his mechanical parts shop. He gave a lazy yawn as he let himself in and flipped the sign on the front to 'open'. As he set up for today's operations, he put a small CD into a nearby stereo system and let the good times roll.

_[Now Playing: __**"Paint it Black" by: Rolling Stones**__]_

Normally, people didn't pass through his shop very often. Often enough, if they wanted something fixed, they wouldn't come here to get the materials to repair it themselves. No, they'd go to the big name repair shops and get their help there. With a smirk though, he reminded himself that those big name repair shops had to get their materials from somewhere.

As was shown to all his customers, he guaranteed quality materials and quality parts. It was this service that drew a lot of the most popular mechanics in town to his mere shop. He remembered once upon a time when he serviced a blue hedgehog who wanted different gems for his shoes. He had no use for them of course, so he would often sell those things to the hedgehog.

Now that he thought of it, he'd sold a lot of strange things to that trio of hedgehogs. They sure did ask a lot of questions around town too. The clerk was drawn from his thoughts as he heard a bell jingle, signaling that a customer had just come in. When he looked up from across the counter, he saw a short, two tailed fox stride in through the double doors. With glee, he spoke up, "It's been a while since you've been here, Tails. Is your mechanic business running slow, or have you been on a big project?"

The kit smiled as he mentioned the business. Over the past few days, the kit had settled in and even opened up a mechanic shop for repairing and crafting. Once word got around about his talents, he soon became one of the most popular mechanics in the town, and people from all over were coming for commissions and advice. "Neither, Drake," the fox merely answered as he surveyed the shop for materials he might need. "I just need to restock on materials before I head out."

Drake raised a brow at that. "Heading out?" he asked. "As in, out of town? Why would you do that? You're having great business!"

Tails waved his hand, as if dismissing that. "I may be having good business, but I'm searching for someone who may or may not be messing with the balance of chaos energy," he excused himself as he loaded his pack with materials and parts. "Something's going on, and I don't like it. Whatever's going on, I need to talk to him."

"Well, what's he look like?" Drake asked while checking off the materials by their barcodes. "Maybe, if he comes by, I can point him to you."

Tails chuckled lightly. Silver wasn't the kind of guy who would drop by a mechanical parts shop… in fact, he tried to seclude himself from crowds and the public in general. It was actually kind of sad. "Well, you may know him," the kit explained. "He's a white hedgehog; maybe a bit taller than me. The spines on his head flare out in almost all directions."

Drake snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Oh, that guy! Yeah, he used to come around every now and then and ask for these bracelets that were supposed to enhance psychokinetic powers. I even gave him a discount when he showed me his powers. I'll make sure to send him by your workshop if he comes by."

"Alright, thanks Drake," Tails spoke as he stashed away the parts. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I really must be going."

"See ya around, Tails!" Drake bid him farewell while setting up for the rest of the day.

Just before exiting however, Tails turned around and asked the black man, "You like listening to the Rolling Stones, Drake?"

The human responded by pulling out the 'Forty Licks' album case. "Every day, all the time," he merely remarked while cleaning up.

With that, the kit exited the store and headed down the street to his workshop, properly entitled in his name. As he entered the store, which was previously unlocked, he noticed a figure in the back of the room. Though he was hidden in the shadows, Tails could tell by his silhouette who he was. He thusly placed his stuff down and asked, "I've been looking for you, Silver. What are you doing here?"

"I've actually been looking for you too, Tails," the hedgehog said while stepping into the light. "Should I ask my questions first, or are you going to start it off?"

Though skeptical, Tails fired off the first question. "I felt a use of chaos energy yesterday and I'm assuming it was you since you're here in my locked workshop," he began, trying to hint to his point. "What's the rush?"

"I'm looking for something, which brings me to my first question," Silver responded while tapping his toe against the floor. "I'm looking for the Sol Emeralds, and I was wondering if your emerald radar can detect both Chaos and Sol Emeralds."

Before the kit answered, he heard the bell jingle at the front door, signifying a customer. "Just a minute," he told the grey wolf. "Well Silver, that works in theory since they give off similar energy signatures. But, if all you want is a Sol Emerald, why don't you just ask Knuckles? I'm sure he's got one on his hands. But for now, I've got customers to serve, so you'll have to go, I'm sorry."

"One more thing!" he said to Tails. "Where is Angel Island this time of year? You know, so I can chaos control there."

At that thought, Tails had a hearty laugh. When he saw Silver's confused face, he instructed him, "You're better off not teleporting to Angel Island. If you're not too experienced with this stuff, you're gonna teleport your molecules into a solid mountain, and then someone will have to pull you out with a long distance chaos control, and those are hard to perform. I should know; I had to pull Sonic out of a rock once because he chaos controlled too carelessly. You're better off getting there by other means."

This jogged up a thought for the white hedgehog. He wondered for a moment what it would be like to be integrated into rock… and he shivered at the thought. "Well, thanks for the advice Tails!" he shouted to him as he ran out, accidentally bumping into someone on the way out and promptly asking for forgiveness. The kit only shook his head.

Once Silver was out of earshot, the grey wolf from earlier came up to the counter and asked, "What's with him?"

"I don't know, man," Tails simply said quietly. "I don't know."

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

Angel Island

September-19-2506

10:02 Mobius Time

Though it was painstaking, Chameleon had to force himself not to go into an all-out attack. He didn't want to wake his target; just keep him in a state of deep unconsciousness. After he snuck around the altar to the rear of it, he slowly scaled it, making sure his feet made nary a sound against the marble structure. Approaching the top, he could see the green glimmer of the Master Emerald and the dull red fur of the sleeping guardian.

He brought out a small needle, filled to the brim with a powerful dissociative anesthesia. With the guardian asleep, all he had to do was administer the liquid, and the rest would take care of its self. He was about to stick Knuckles with it until the echidna rolled out of the way and spun around to strike a kick to the intruder. "So, you think you can come and steal _my _Master Emerald, huh? Or, are you the one that wants the Sol Emerald?" he accused of Chameleon while landing in a fighting stance.

The assailant raised his brow with a smirk as he heard this. "You really suspect me of wanting to steal your pitiful Master Emerald?" he objected with a scoff of sorts. "No, and I'm not even here for the Sol Emerald, though that makes a nice bonus. Rather, I am here for you, Knuckles."

_What's your motive? _The echidna thought while flexing his forefingers, goading his opponent on. "Well then, c'mon," taunted the echidna. "Let's see what you got!"

_[Now Playing: __**"This Moment" by: Disturbed**__]_

Chameleon thusly charged at Knuckles, ready to take the echidna out. He retrieved a small, elegant dagger from his belt and thrust a stab at the echidna, even though he swiftly dodged to the side. Knuckles then spun into the parry and swung a backhand at the reptile, though he ducked under the strike.

"At least you're not completely incompetent," Chameleon mused while kicking back up and knocking Knuckles off of the entire structure. As the echidna flew through the air, Chameleon followed after him with a jump. He launched a punch toward Knuckles, but the echidna grabbed his arm in midair and threw him harshly toward the ground. The chameleon would've suffered severe injury had he not flipped and cushioned his blow properly.

"Maybe I'm more competent than you think!" Knuckles shouted while striking a punch to the ground that caused fissures to rise up and approach Chameleon. With a smirk, the reptile jumped back, but not before dropping a couple small spheres in the fissures' path. With the correct timing, the small black spheres flipped off of the cracking ground and before Knuckles' feet. He only had to see them flash red once to know that they were bombs, but he only had the time to cover up his face from the explosion as it blew him backward.

The echidna rolled onto his feet, watching carefully as Chameleon threw small metal discs at him. While Knuckles dodged most of them, he was unable to catch the one that flew in the shadow of the others and it was stuck in his left arm. He plucked it from his skin and let the blood drip, looking at the four-spoke weapon. "A shuriken?" he mused while throwing it right back at the chameleon. "I haven't fought a ninja for a long time."

He saw the chameleon huff a sigh as he spoke those words and he decided to take advantage. With quick rush, he managed to get in a combination of punches and kicks that ultimately knocked the reptile on the ground. Knuckles smirked as he raised his foot to crush the intruder, but Chameleon rolled to the side and sliced at the echidna with his dagger, drawing blood and leaving a harsh cut over the echidna's crescent birth mark.

Chameleon quickly rose to his feet and whipped around a sharp kick to the echidna's abdomen. Knuckles stumbled slightly at the blow, but still managed to block an oncoming punch and push his opponent back. As he slid back, Chameleon reached into his belt and retrieved two knuckle duster blades and fitted them onto his hands. Knuckles swore he caught a green glint of light off of the weapons while the reptile dashed back at him.

The echidna easily dodged two swings of the bladed fists and kicked low, hoping to catch Chameleon off balance. However, instead of tripping, Chameleon simply jumped over the strike and dove down take another stab at Knuckles. The echidna rolled to the side of the slicing motion and struck another kick to the reptile's back, sending him into the ground.

When Chameleon rolled back onto his feet, he threw the two knuckle duster blades off of his hands and at the unsuspecting echidna. While one missed him to the side, the other landed a clean slice to his right arm as it skinned right by him. He grunted as he felt the slice and gave a glare to the chameleon, rushing over and attempting to strike at him with a quick punch, but the reptile simply jumped into the air to avoid it.

As Chameleon had expected, Knuckles jumped and charged right at him with another punch. In response, the reptile spun and dodged to the side while sending a crushing heel kick into the echidna's stomach. As Knuckles was sent careening to the ground, Chameleon dived after him and threw a couple of kunai knives at him. Knuckles landed on the ground first however, and he dodged to the side, allowing the kunai to plant themselves in the ground harmlessly.

The echidna grunted as he stood in the area where chameleon would be coming, preparing a hefty punch for his assailant. When Chameleon was in range, Knuckles lunged up with a powerful punch. However, as the reptile neared it, he swiped the arm aside with a block and kicked Knuckles in the back of the head, launching him against the ground and creating a small crater.

When Knuckles stumbled back to his feet from the blow, he felt… unusually lethargic. _What's going on? _He pondered; _I normally don't feel like this in a fight. _He shook thought away as he dodged another wave of shuriken, though he got nicked by several of them. _What's the matter with me? It's like I'm moving through molasses!_

"Having problems, echidna?" Chameleon goaded him while charging at Knuckles. The statement angered the echidna, and he charged back, fueled by rage at his insulting assailant. When the two met, Chameleon didn't even try to put up a block as Knuckles lunged for a punch… he couldn't even lift up his arm.

"What's going on?" the echidna wondered as he tried lifting his left arm, finding that he couldn't. He then turned his head back to the reptile who was laughing his head. With slight fear, the echidna backed off. It was futile though, as Chameleon ran at him, drawing one of his katanas from his back and lunging toward Knuckles' shoulder with the blade. The echidna couldn't even put up his right arm to block it. He felt the stinging pain as he shouted, "What did you do to me?"

"It's a powerful anesthetic, foolish echidna," Chameleon said with disgust. As he slowly retrieved his bloody blade from the Knuckles' shoulder letting the blood pour from the wound.

Knuckles quivered as he slowly backed away and fell to his knees. How did it happen? He hadn't been stuck with the needle that Chameleon had been sneaking up on him with, so what happened? "When did you–"

"It was from the very first injury you took," Chameleon spoke as he walked off a short distance and picked up one of his thrown shuriken. One of its spokes was covered in the guardian's blood. "Do you remember this?"

Knuckles widened his eyes as he recalled it. "That's the first shuriken that hit me," he realized aloud and gave a fearful glance to the reptile. "Are you saying that the anesthetic's been in me since the very beginning?"

"Indeed it has," Chameleon admitted as he neared the echidna with a hypodermic needle, filled to the brim with a green liquid. "While it was in small amounts, my special anesthetic has been in your body since the beginning. Sadly, I'll have to use it all up to put you down, so my next target will be a bit more difficult."

"A bit more difficult, eh?" the echidna asked in curiosity. He continued as Chameleon stuck him with the needle, "More difficult than me? Who is it? Who on Mobius to you think could possibly best me?"

"You see echidna, my next target is missing one thing that you have," the reptile explained as he filled the echidna with the liquid. "He doesn't have your overconfidence. You're too cocky and you put too much reliance in your strength. Take that away, and you're just a broken rodent. You have no form, and you are solitary, having little trust in what real friends you do have. You were no match for me from the very beginning."

The echidna glared at his captor, but was able to do little more than that as he fell into a dark sleep.

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

14:16 Mobius Time

When Silver finally arrived to the clearing where the Master Emerald's altar was, he was immediately skeptical. He surveyed the area and immediately noticed that things were clean… _too _clean. It wasn't that he thought Knuckles was uncleanly, it was just unnaturally clean. The grass seemed to have a sort of sheen to it that made it look orderly, and there weren't even any leaves blown in the area. He ignored this though since it wasn't too windy that day. Maybe Knuckles decided to do some spring cleaning… in autumn.

Whatever the case may be, he was clueless still when Knuckles hadn't come down to greet him. Well, an excuse for that would be simple. He and Knuckles never really hit it off as good friends. They never saw each other much, so maybe a greeting wasn't to be expected. Still though, he imagined that the echidna would at least come and inspect him to see if he was a threat to the Master Emerald… no, something was definitely wrong. "Hey Knuckles, are you here?" He shouted across the plane, hoping to get a response from the red echidna.

After a few moments of listening, he heard nothing and thought that he might've been asleep. He fell to sleep often while guarding the Master Emerald, even though his reaction timing was still perfect… even in his sleep. However, with no respect for the echidna's privacy and a strong resolve to get that Sol Emerald, he climbed the stairs to greet the guardian.

He was sorely disappointed when Knuckles wasn't even at his post, with the Master Emerald out in the open. Now he knew something was wrong. Knuckles never left his post; not even if he needed to go get food from the local market. He always chose to send others to the market for him. It would take a dying friend, a war, or Eggman to make Knuckles leave the Master Emerald, and none of those were currently happening.

With his resolve failed, he rushed away to find Tails. He would need to know about this.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys... sorry for the time between chapters. I've just been kinda down, with school coming up soon.**

**Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything from Sega or Sonic '06. All music is purely suggested and is not mine. Nobel Six has sole ownership to Chameleon, Ghost, and Imperious.**

**Claimer: I own this plot and characters not affiliated with the above mentioned.**

* * *

XXXXXXXXXX

Seprember-20-2506

8:16 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Blind" by: Korn**__]_

Knuckles blinked. A sign that he was alive… unless he was waking up in the other world. He saw no light but a few lonely blue torches. Surely this wasn't Heaven, was it? Or any other deathly existence for that matter. He felt cold with his only warmth being from the nearest torch. Not even Hell was this cold, he figured.

He shuddered from the cold, feeling himself rock slightly back and forth. He found though, when looking around in the dim light, that he was in a suspended, spherical cage. Though he thought about the sphered design, he shrugged it off and tried to analyze his situation.

He had already assumed that he was captured by the chameleon who'd assaulted him. He, however, could not feel the power of the Master Emerald from anywhere. He assumed that his assaulter hadn't taken it… but why not? The Master Emerald was of great power; why wouldn't he want it? Was it not the reason he'd come in the first place? Or was it for the reason he claimed: to capture him?

So many thoughts buzzed through his head, he didn't even notice the red eyes that were glaring at him, just beyond the cage. "Do not try to understand your situation, echidna," a deep, almost growling voice spoke to him. At this, Knuckles snapped out of his trance and stared into the malicious eyes of the speaker. "What I need you here for is nothing you would comprehend. My plan is much bigger than what you could imagine."

The echidna glared at him though unable to see him; angry for having been confined to his small space. He hated small spaces, especially when he was perfectly capable of seeing outside… always there, but just outside his grasp. "Well then, what is your _big plan?_" he questioned, attempting to get some information. "Maybe then I'd be able to grasp it better?"

"That seems unlikely," his captor spoke again in his chilling tone. "With your track record of commonly mistaking others and your poor placement of trust, I doubt highly that anything I say to you will become an inkling's worth of your knowledge."

"Why you…"

"Make no mistake, echidna. I am not judging you," he spoke while pacing around the cage. "I am merely taking into account all your previous attempts to _understand _and I'm turning them against you.

Slightly annoyed, Knuckles raised his brow. "Saying things more intelligently doesn't make its meaning different," he argued. "In a sense, you are still judging me."

"No. It's more like I'm…" the figure paused, trying to recall better words for the situation. "… Testifying against your say."

Knuckles breathed a sigh, sorting through his anger as he gripped at the curved bars. "I don't care if I won't understand it," he said angrily. "Just _tell me."_

The figure appeared to shake his head while walking away. "Maybe my next target will understand the predicament better. You can chat with him when I catch him," he suggested while retreating.

"Wait!" Knuckles shouted in his one last attempt to try and make sense of things. "Who are you?"

The figure paused, turning back to the echidna with a sly grin. Though his features were shadowed, the echidna could still pick up a glimmer of excitement hidden in his eyes. He could see the many scheming thoughts that ran around inside his mind through those eyes, even if he hadn't a clue what those plans were. The figure then turned back around. "I am Imperious, echidna. It'd be smart of you to remember that."

_[Stop Music]_

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"I thought about how there are two types of secrets: The kind you want to keep in; and the kind you wouldn't dare let out."—__**Ally Carter**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Let and Leave Be **_

**^/\^|v\/v**

Castle Town, Soleanna

September-20-2506

12:16 Mobius Time

In the light of the next day, Silver ran through the small Castle Town portion of Soleanna, desperately seeking a certain companion of his. A specific two-tailed companion.

Surely Tails would know what to make of the situation. Surely he could make heads and tails of Knuckles' disappearance. He was smart, right? This was the kind of thing he was supposed to be able to figure out. And thus, he searched onward attempting to recall the location of his workshop.

But… maybe he wouldn't need Tails for this. He was just thinking too deeply into it, right? Silver knew that he had a tendency to overcomplicate things; simple things. What if this was just a normal kidnapping for ransom? He shook his head; Knuckles wasn't one to be kidnaped easily. Anyone who went through the trouble to take him down was clearly looking for more than money.

The Master Emerald? No; they'd have just taken it after taking out Knuckles. Instead, they took the guardian and left the Master Emerald. No, their target must've been the red echidna. It was just too clear.

But then, if all these variables were correct, why would they want Knuckles? He was a stubborn person and no amount of interrogation would get him to talk. Surely they at least knew that… so why Knuckles? If Tails, or even Sonic, could've told them what they wanted, why Knuckles?

No, it was clear to him that Knuckles wasn't being interrogated… what then? He shook his head, unable to make sense of the predicament. Perhaps it really was as complicated as he'd imagined.

When he came upon Tails' shop, he was surprised to find that it was closed. _Funny, it's not even Saturday or Sunday, _Silver mused while looking at the bold sign that read **CLOSED. **It was odd to find a store closed in the midst of the working week, especially for those such as Tails.

He then looked across the street and down the block, noticing a small mechanic's store. Tails surely went there for supplies. Maybe the owner would give him some information on the kit. "Hello? Drake?" he shouted as he opened the door to the shop, hearing the jingle of the bells, notifying the owner that he'd entered.

The dark-skinned manager moved out of a back room and appeared behind the counter, smiling at him. "Well, if it isn't Silver; hedgehog from the future," he mused with an amused smirk. "I have a little kitsune friend who came looking for you yesterday."

"Well, I'm actually trying to find him," Silver explained. "Tails' shop is closed down, but it's the middle of the week. If anyone, I thought that at least you might be able to tell me where he is."

Drake leaned his head back, gritting his teeth. He shook his head and sighed to the white hedgehog, giving him a disheartened look. "That's something personal of Tails' man. I was surprised when he told me about it," he reminisced while cleaning up his shop. "If I told you, it would be a betrayal of his trust. He'll need to tell you himself."

Silver shook his head slightly and glared a bit at Drake. He felt as though the human was stalling him, but he only huffed in breaths. "Listen, this is a matter of life or death," he tried reasoning with Drake. "I don't want to know about his past, or anything that happened. I just want to know _where _he is."

At this, the human nodded. "He's at the cemetery," Drake directed him, pointing in a general direction. "Depending on his mood this year, he might've already left. Or, you might still catch him… if you're lucky."

"The cemetery?" Silver questioned. It was against his knowledge that the kit would go to a graveyard. Why would someone so bright and cheery be spending their daytime in a cemetery? "But, why would he—"

"Ah, ah, ah," Drake mocked him with the shake of his finger. "You said you wouldn't pry."

Silver put up his hand to retort, but he dropped it, giving only a fleeting glance as he dashed right back out the door he'd come in. Drake merely stared back at the flapping door, a blank expression on his face. "What's wrong with him?" he asked himself while returning to his work.

^/\^|v\/v

Soleanna Cemetery

September-20-2506

12:30 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Here Without You" by: 3 Doors Down**__]_

It was a typical day for mourning. With a sky of clouds and a wispy wind filling the air, it would be another dreary day. The perfect day to waste away with tears in your eyes and a heart of heavy sorrows. And yet, there would always be that bit of light shining through the dense clouds. Sometimes, it just didn't shine on the right person.

A young kit knelt before a memorial; a stone of marble placed atop a grave. Aside from a flower he had kept in his shop, this was his only physical attachment to _her_ now. All he had left to remember her by. He treasured the small memento to her death, but it was nothing close to the real her.

He had long since given up on the flower. That too had become a simple memento of her passing, rather than a hope that she would return. His twin tails dropped to the grass as he heaved a sigh. "Hey Cosmo, it's me," he solemnly muttered as he pawed at the dirt before her grave, digging it up a bit. "I miss you… but, you probably already know that."

Tails let a small tear fall in the patch of soft dirt as he let his emotions flow. "Another year's come and gone, eh?" he asked rhetorically, while smiling at the grave. "It's been what… three years? Can you believe it? I'll be thirteen soon… I can't believe I managed to pilot a battleship when I was ten… it's almost unbelievable when I look back on it."

He then pulled out a small potted plant that he'd brought with him: a lovely, healthy rose with no thorns. "I learned how to repot plants recently," he continued to speak to the grave. "I've moved your rose to a couple of different pots… but I don't think you'd like pots. They're confining; preventing the plant from fully rooting itself into the ground. You wouldn't like that. So here I am, releasing you from your potted confines."

The kit then reached around the edges of the inside of the pot, taking the rose out with a clump of dirt and settling it in the small hole he dug. "Does it feel good, Cosmo? To have your only physical root in this world be released before your memorial grave? I hope so… I really do."

He then frowned at the marble stone and brushed it with his hands. "I'm here without you, Cosmo," he murmured. "Though the pain's gone, I still think about you sometimes. I still dream about you. But don't worry; they're all happy thoughts and dreams now."

He was about to stand up before he knelt down again, with tears pouring down his face in rivers. "I'm so sorry, Cosmo," he choked out to the representation of her. "I'm sorry for letting you down. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to protect all my friends. I promise that your death won't have been in vain."

With the last words spoken, he stood back up and walked off, giving one last fleeting glance to the grave. He wiped away his tears; of course he would miss her. Of course he would think about her. Many thoughts were bound to occur to him, and he was bound to deal with them. And that was the way things were. He loved her, of course. If nothing else, she would be a fond memory in his life forever. With those departing thoughts, he turned away, walking back into the forest for a stroll.

He whistled a tune as he stepped through the forest, wondering about how much she would love the scenery. He had promised that she could live back on Mobius with him when everything had been over and done with. She would've loved to see the forests… she had always loved the forests. They were so full of life; Cosmo would've felt like the Hebrews in their promised land… without all the delays the Hebrews experienced.

Tails chuckled at the thought. Relating modern happenings to Bible stories and tales was something he'd come to do after having read the Christian book of their history. A history book, maybe, but he saw something more in it. Cosmo had seen it too obviously; he'd seen her reading it sometimes and smiling at the words and passages.

As he walked deeper into the forest, he began to see a hue shift I color. The colors of the trees began to fade to yellows and reds as he passed them by, and he smiled at their beautiful colors. There was always one tree that was his favorite. It only truly flourished when the weather became colder, and only one was still alive.

He'd come to a clearing, seeing the pink tree before him. A Cherry Blossom tree… that was what some called it. It was known for the pink petals that bloomed all across the tree where a normal tree would have leaves. Each petal was soft as silk to the touch, and beautiful to the eye. It was more popularly known by its Japanese alias, however… the _Sakura _tree.

"That's what you transformed into on the day you died, wasn't it Cosmo?" he asked as he breathed in the flowers' sent. "You became a Sakura tree… and you saved us all from death." It was in the small clearing though that he sensed a disturbance… like something was there that wasn't supposed to be. He became more wary as he looked to his right and saw a small object: the yellow Chaos Emerald.

_[Stop Music]_

He looked at the gem, befuddled by its presence on the ground. He searched through his tail fur and picked out his emerald; also yellow in color. It was too suspicious… a trap maybe? There were no other explanations for it, as each emerald was unique in its color. That one was obviously the bait to a trap… a very poorly lain trap.

Why would someone lay such a poor trap for him though? They must've known that he was the only person who even came this deep in the forest, and if they studied him that hard, they'd have seen his emerald at one point in time… so, why yellow?

Why then, when they knew it wouldn't work and that all odds of success were against them, would they use a _yellow_ fake emerald? No, there was more to this trap than met the eye. He walked around the fake emerald, examining it to see just how the trap was set… and unknowingly, putting himself in position for the second trap.

All of a sudden, he hit the ground and he was looking up, out of a hole. A common pitfall trap, yes, but this one had been used as a trap with a trap… like reverse-psychology, in this case. But, the kit smirked as he spun up his tails, drifting upward with the skill of flight that he had acquired long ago.

He heard a few ropes whip around and he was suspended in the air in an instant. He looked above him, seeing that a few ropes had bounds his tail in place, hanging from a small tree. He looked below again and saw his captor, a black chameleon dressed in ninja's wear. "A trap within a trap within a trap, eh?" Tails mused, smirking at his captor. "You are perceptive of your intended captives, I'll give you that."

Chameleon nodded, flipping a single kunai knife around in his hands. The four-sided blade with a single point was enough to rip through the kit's small body with a good throw. Instead of throwing it at him however, the ninja took out a small hypodermic needle, filled to the brim with a green liquid. "Perhaps you're familiar with anesthetics?" Chameleon asked while flipping it around in his hands. He then gripped it and threw it skillfully, aiming for the kit.

With a grin, the kit began to hoist himself up on the ropes, avoiding the anesthetic and tearing himself down from the suspension. "You're good, ninja. Good enough to catch me well off guard," Tails said while preparing to fight. "But trapping me is going to be a bit harder for you than that!" Without warning, the kit dived at his enemy, entering into battle.

_[Now Playing: __**"Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" by: Korn**__]_

The kit swung around a kick, attempting to hit his target. A swift duck was all the chameleon needed to avoid the kick and he shot his leg upward to strike the kit. Tails back-flipped and avoided the response kick, landing back in his stance. "You are a competent fighter, Miles," Chameleon complimented him while throwing a few shuriken at the kit. "Certainly much better than that echidna guardian."

Tails widened his eyes as he dodged to the side of the shuriken's. "What did you do with Knuckles?" he asked with slight concern as he sprung forward, flipping and attempting to slash at him with his tails.

Chameleon felt the tails whisk by him as he barely dodged out of the way. With such speed and velocity, the kit would've done much more than impact him with his burly tails. "An interesting method of attack, young one," he muttered while launching a fist at him as he landed, sending the kit into a nearby tree. "Too bad you'll need to refine your aim."

The kit stood defiantly though, shaking his head from burry vision in time enough to see a kick coming. He rolled to the side, seeing Chameleon plunge through the tree and completely crush the trunk, leaving the top to fall over. "A swift fighter too, I see," Chameleon mused. In the dust of the crashing tree, he was unable to see Tails flying at him with a kick, and was thusly propelled backward by the force, his feet digging trenches into the ground.

"So, you've beaten Knuckles?" Tails asked while going in for close-combat, throwing punches at his dodging target. "You must be quite the skilled fighter." The kit lunged for an uppercut, but Chameleon only leaned back, avoiding it and planting his hand on the ground, striking a kick into Tails' abdomen, sending him into the air.

"I like to think that I am," Chameleon mused while jumping up to intercept Tails in the air. At the last moment though, Tails' namesakes spun into action and he avoided the lunging strike, kicking him with a fiercely swung heel. Chameleon flipped around, making sure he landed on his feet from the blow. "But I know I'm not the best."

The kit glared at him while dodging a few kunai that were thrown, even catching one out of the air. He examined the traditional knife and smirked back to Chameleon. "Iron-infused carbon-fiber base mineral," he announced. "… Diamond tip from the looks of it. These are some serious tools you're using to take me down." The kit the balanced the kunai in his hand before throwing it back at Chameleon with precision.

Though the reptile assailant dodged to the side, he still felt the blade graze his arm, drawing a drop of blood or two. "Impressive aim, kit. There's more to you than I originally thought," he mused while vanishing from sight.

Tails blinked and looked around suspiciously, turning his body to search for the reptile. It was one detail that escaped him that lead to him taking a harsh blow to the back of the head, sending him off, back into the clearing. He clutched the back of his bleeding head a bit, the one detail about his enemy becoming clear. "A chameleon… I should've known," he murmured while closing his eyes, relying on his naturally astounding sense of hearing.

The wind passed by him as he waited. As he closed his eyes, everything became visible in a new light. A whooshing noise; he dodged to the side. Two kunai landed in the spot he once was in. A whir of sound; he ducked in time to let a shuriken pass over him harmlessly. The stirring of the grass; he snapped his eyes open and spun around, putting a backhanded strike into the block of his assailant.

"Impressive, young fox," Chameleon commended him while reappearing, letting his natural camouflage drop off. The reptile then swung around his leg for a kick, which the kit easily dodged to the side of. Tails then went for a couple of striking combinations, all of which were swiftly blocked by Chameleon. When the kit flung forward another desperate punch, Chameleon simple put up his hand and caught the feeble attempt.

Tails widened his eyes in shock as he saw his fist impact the reptile's palm, simply stopping in its place. Chameleon took his sweet time, drawing out the moment while bending the kit's wrist back, forcing him on the ground. He, however, didn't account for the twin tails the fox had and was reeducated with a swift swat to the side by means of the two spinal appendages.

"You're resourceful, for making use of your mutant second tail," the kit's assailant commented while holding his ribs. "I'll give you that much."

However, when Chameleon glanced back at the kit, he saw only eyes of hatred. He narrowed his own; trying to figure out what had angered the kit so much in the first place. The two glared at each other for a short moment, each for different reasons. "You didn't seem to be this easily angered before, kit," he observed while raising a brow.

The kit flung himself forward with great speed, whipping his tails around and slamming Chameleon into the ground. He stood over the Chameleon, planting his foot right over his chest. "You just have to be messing with me, don't you?" the kit growled before taking the reptile's arms and flinging him into the air.

Chameleon turned around, trying to find the kit that had seemingly disappeared. "You still haven't told me what I—"

He felt a hand grab his arm and he was suddenly suspended in the air. Looking back up, he saw the kit flying in the air, glaring back down at him with malice. "A mutant, am I?" he muttered darkly while tossing him a bit and kicking him in the back, toward the ground. Before Chameleon even hit the earth, Tails flew below him and caught him, throwing him against the ground.

"You don't know how much disrespect I get from that one little word!" he shouted as the reptile. "All these hypocrites trying to tie me down! I do the best I can, and I get no respect! They're all nothing but heretics, feeding off of everything I offer and then asking for more than I can give!"

Chameleon raised his brow to the kit before widening his eyes in realization. Of course; the kit had been given strife early on in life because of his twin tails. To call him a mutant was like taboo. "You know, if you have such a problem with it, then you should—"

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Tails screamed while flinging another punch at Chameleon. With a simple breath, the reptile sidestepped his move and kicked him brought a kick down, putting him in the dirt. Though Tails tried to rolls to his feet, Chameleon planted a foot on his back.

"You are a good fighter, Miles," the reptile ninja commended him. "You're swift fighting skill and fine adaptability surely proves you a better fighter than that echidna. You've become more independent over the years as we've observed, and that is also a good quality for your fighting. However, one little thing brought about your defeat today."

"And pray tell, what is that?" the kit said while struggling against the weight of his assailant.

The chameleon bent low, whispering in his ear, "You're anger." He then knocked the kit in the side of his temple with a slugged fist, effectively rendering him unconscious. As he picked up the kit's unconscious body and walked forward, a small black void appeared before him. He was well aware of where this void would take him, for he'd used it many times before.

He heard the ruffling of grass behind him and he peered back, seeing a tall looking human. He narrowed down the human's basic structure; blue eyes, skinny, ruffled black hair. With a smirk, he spoke to him, "It's been a long time, John."

The man only narrowed his eyes.

"Still as silent and stoic as ever, huh?" he mocked him as he began to step through the gate. "You know, you won't be able to rescue Samantha. Not even if you had some capability of inter-dimensional travel."

John simply glared. Without another word being said, Chameleon stepped through the void, leaving the human to simply wait…


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Well guys, I got a broken leg, so I was able to upload this in the midst of the week! Have at it, my lovely readers!**

**Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything from Sega, Sonic Team, or Sonic '06. Ghost, Chameleon, and Imperious are property of Nobel Six. Thunder is property of Gnat1. All music is property of the respectful artist. Please support the official releases.**

**Claimer: I claim and own this plot and all characters not affiliated with the above mentioned.**

* * *

XXXXXXXXXX

September-20-2506

13:55 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Session" by: Linkin Park**__]_

Darkness… never-ending darkness. Tails tried to open his eyes, but the light was so bright and blinding that it prevented him from even sliding them open a smidge. Someone was shining a bright light in his face, and he had no clue why.

A headache… a massive headache. The kit felt like his head was splitting from the intense pain. He tried to shake his head clear of the pain, but he found that he was immobile. His limbs were attached to some surface. The way gravity acted on him though, he felt like he was lying down on a table.

A voice… a very distinctive, dark voice pierced through the darkness, "Has the subject been implanted?" Tails furrowed his brow at the question. _Subject? _Tails thought with slight concern. _Who's in the room? Where is this subject? What's going on?_

Another voice… not as deep, and slightly familiar to the kit, "Yes, the subject has been successfully implanted." He decided that enough was enough. He opened his eyes and he found himself quickly adjusting to the light, though painful as it was.

One light… that was all that shone in the room. And that light was on him. He looked over to two figures. One was hidden in the dark… but, he appeared to be a large figure, possibly rivaling the ten-foot mark. The other figure was in the embrace of the light and he could easily identify him as Chameleon; the very Mobian that had taken him.

The two seemed to be in conversation; discussing something of clear importance based on their deepness of thought. Tails noticed that they were surrounding a certain point and he assumed that whatever they were around must've been the subject.

He turned his head to get a better look… he found that his splitting headache only grew worse upon movement of his head, and he was forced to remain immobile. As he got used to the light, the two figures became contrasted to the bright light, growing darker and nearly unrecognizable silhouettes.

He sighed lightly, not wanting them to know that he was awake. He had to know who this subject was. He continued his eavesdropping as they continued to speak. "Have you made the necessary precautions?" The deep-toned figure spoke, swerving his head as if looking at Chameleon, a large, scaly tail sweeping across the floor as he turned.

Chameleon replied, "I have. John knows where the portal is, and he is waiting for the one you called _Silver_." Tails perked up his ears more, trying to catch every word. "If all goes according to your plan, then the duo should be making their way to us in a few hours' time."

The tall one nodded, giving a smile that could only be defined as toothy from its pure whiteness in the black. "Excellent," he muttered evilly. "As soon as the subject is rescued, we will be following their every move… and the sleeper agent will make the rest of our endeavors simple."

Tails frowned, not having caught any names, and with the headache still distracting him. He decided that they were only going to use descriptions, and he wouldn't be receiving a name. He decided to relax for a moment, looking back up at the light with squinted eyes. In the reflection of the glass, he saw himself… with his cranium sliced open. He could clearly see the pink, gelatinous mass that was his brain, and he let out a scream of terror before fainting from shock.

The two figures turned to face him. Chameleon went to tend to Tails while the tall figure viewed from the darkness, narrowing his eyes slightly. He then looked to his servant with a deep, piercing glare and muttered darkly, "The subject has awoken prematurely."

_[Stop Music]_

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"'I wish it need not have happened in my time,' said Frodo.  
'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'"—__**J.R.R. Tolkien**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 4**_

_**One Step Forward…**_

**^/\^|v\/v**

Soleanna Cemetery

September-20-2506

14:36 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Hey You" by: Pink Floyd**__]_

_I was lying in bed that morning, next to her. She said she'd been having unusual nightmares lately, and I suppose she just wanted my comfort… I'd have slept with her anyway. After all, I do love her._

_I looked at her, seeing her eyes closed, but not tightly. I smiled. It appeared as though she wasn't having a nightmare… not yet, anyway. She began to toss a bit, rolling slightly into my embrace and shivering. I wondered what was going on in her mind._

_It happened quickly, as if someone flipped switch. Her little tossing fits turned into whimpering and crying and she mumbled pleadings under her breath. As if someone was doing something to her. Something horrible…_

_I shook her slightly and her eyes burst open, into tears. She looked up, into my pale blue eyes and I gazed back into her emerald irises. I held her close and stroked the hair on her head, whispering, "It's alright Sammy… I'm here now… It was just another nightmare."_

_Just another nightmare…_

_Just another nightmare…_

_Just another nightmare…_

_I can't believe how much of a fool I was…_

…

The man snapped his eyes open, looking at the silver hedgehog that had shaken him awake. With a sigh, the two merely looked at each other before Silver finally spoke, "Funny place to be sleeping. You do know it's raining, right?"

In his grogginess, he looked up and saw the water pouring down, like the heavens' sprinkler system. He blinked as water dropped into his eye and he groaned. He was wet, and he hated being wet. He stood up, leaning against a tree as he shook his blonde hair hair out of his eyes, giving him a more clear view of his sentient alarm. "You've got some nerve, just waking me up like that," he scolded Silver with a scornful glare.

Silver backed away, raising his hands in surrender. "Listen, I didn't wake you up so I could get a lecture, okay?" he clarified while pointing behind him. In the space, not ten meters from them was a black, pooling sphere, with streaks of blue and white circling through it. "I wanted to ask you about that."

The man looked at the void with great interest. It wasn't exactly something you saw every day. The mass just floated there, as if threatening to pull in anything that got too close. "You got a name, kid?" he asked, his voice teeming with suspicion. He gave Silver a sideways glance as he investigated the strange phenomena.

"Silver," the reply came. Silver gazed at the ominous orb as well, holding his hand aloft and attempting to use his psychokinesis on it. He concentrated on the orb, a blue aura beginning to generate from his body.

"You're not going to do anything that way," the man said as he tossed a pebble into the orb. In an instant, the pebble disappeared into the void. "My name is Ghost, by the way."

With a nod from Silver, he reached forward to touch the portal. He was about to touch it when Ghost grasped his wrist and pulled him away. "Rule number one of dimensional travel, Silver," Ghost said with a piercing glance. "Never enter a portal unless you are completely prepared for whatever may be on the other side."

"You seem to know a lot about this," Silver observed skeptically. He scanned the man, wondering what he may have to do with all of this. He was tall, even for a human, that much could be said. His pale blue eyes were hidden in the bangs of his pale blonde hair and most of his body was masked by the great grey trench coat he wore over a black shirt. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, but for the stiletto dagger kept at his hip.

Ghost only nodded, keeping silent as he remembered the yellow kitsune that had been dragged off only hours ago. With a raised brow, he asked, "It's a funny time for you to come to a cemetery, isn't it?" Silver cocked his head to the side as he clarified, "You're friend was taken through that portal a few hours ago."

Silver grimaced, gritting his teeth in the knowledge that he had been right. "What have you been sitting here for, then?" he asked in slight fear. He decided that he didn't know enough about this man to make an accurate guess on his trustworthiness.

Ghost only nodded to Silver. "I've been waiting for you," he explained cryptically. An apathetic expression from the hedgehog was all that he received. Then, with a smirk, the human patted Silver on the shoulder and strode toward the void. "See you on the other side, kid," he called to him as he jumped into the portal.

Silver, in his surprise, stared at the mass of swirling black, blue, and white. To follow him or to stay behind; that was the dilemma. To go forward, into the unknown, brought him closer to the others… and to Blaze. But, he had no clue of the dangers that lay ahead. He was in the dark, with not a single light to guide him. With determination pressing him, he clenched his fist and jumped into the void.

The scene was quiet once more. Only the patter of the rain existed in the cemetery. Their fates had been sealed, a bond wound between them. The entirety of their journey had begun, and an inevitable end was to come of it.

The wind stopped blowing. The rain stopped falling. All that hung was the lingering shadow of the clouds as the portal collapsed into nothingness.

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

Silver landed unsteadily in his destination, stumbling forward and onto his face. He blinked his eyes, noticing that it had become much darker, and looked around. "I didn't go blind, did I?" he asked into the wide open, as if hoping someone would hear him in the midst of the bleak darkness.

Almost upon speaking, a few torches lit up the surrounding area. Their soft blue glow was enough to illuminate the small hallway, and show the hand that was outstretched in front of him. Silver looked up and noticed Ghost offering his hand, accepting it and standing up slowly. "Where are we?" he asked in surprise. None of it was what he had expected; that much was to be certain of.

"We're in the belly of the beast, kid," Ghost said, not afraid in the least. With a clenched fist, he walked ahead, turning his head to Silver and nodding. "I suggest you come along," he suggested dryly, crossing his arms, as if impatient.

With the mysterious torches alongside his path, Silver hesitantly nodded back and rushed up to Ghost's side. He looked around, curious as to their new location. "I've never seen a place like this," he observed while looking out of windows they passed. Little light was let through in the dark world, and a constant rain of flames pelted to world. "Where in the world are we, anyway?"

"We aren't _anywhere_," Ghost answered with a peculiar tone, as if it would be hard to explain. "We are in a pocket dimension. Like a dimension between dimensions. There are many mythological pocket dimensions, and I'm sure you've heard of a few of them, like Valhalla or Agartha. Even Heaven is just another pocket dimension."

Silver, still somewhat confused, shrugged and looked around. "So, what pocket dimension is this?" he said while absentmindedly walking into a wall.

Ghost rolled his eyes and forcefully turned the hedgehog to the right, and down the hall. "This is none of them. This one was crafted by chaos energy and magic," he explained as they neared the end of the hall. "The ruler of this dimension is the enemy. He coordinated the kidnapping of your friends."

_[Now Playing: __**"The Past" by: Korn**__]_

As they walked out into the room, its walls suddenly burst into flame, the hundreds of red flamed torches lighting up the building as though it were a fireworks exhibit. At the end of the throne room sat a black dragon, his form leaning against the arms of his throne and his wings spread wide. "You speak oh-so highly of me, Jonathon," the dragon mocked in his booming voice, his red irises gleaming with excitement.

Silver noticed several red symbols and tattoos emblazoned across the dragon's body, the most defined of them all being the upside-down pentagram that glowed red on his chest. "Who are you?" Silver interrogated him, even though something about the dragon breathed the vibe that he wasn't to be trifled with. Perhaps it was the black aura that seemed to emanate from him, or his glare that seemed to transcend reality.

"Young mortal, I am Imperious," he said in his deep voice. As he lent against his arm, he rubbed his claws together menacingly. "That is probably not what you should be worrying about, however." He contracted his scaly wings after saying his piece, revealing the captives that were hidden behind them.

Three spherical cages hung from the ceiling, all of which were occupied. To Imperious' left was Knuckles banging and rattling on the cage bars. "Hey, let us out!" he yelled incredulously, teeming with anger at the dragon. "When I get my hands on you, I swear I'll rip your throat out, you hear me?!"

As his rants continued with added viciousness, Silver turned to the cage on the far right, holding a weary and pained kitsune, which he immediately recognized to be Tails. Dried blood appeared on the rim of a scar on his scalp, and he appeared to be only semiconscious.

What got the attention of Ghost was the final captive, a woman who appeared to be twenty-one years of age; barely an adult. Her green eyes were almost lifeless and she breathed unsteadily. Burn marks covered her body, some of which were hidden by her flowing blonde hair. Ghost's eyes widened and he shouted to her, "Samantha!"

He was about to run forward when two figures in black armor suddenly stopped him. The held their arms in front of him, blocking his path. "Already enticing my underworld creatures into excitement, John?" Imperious said with a smirk. "You never cease to amuse me."

Ghost looked at the figures that blocked his path, both of which appeared formidable. He saw into the masks they wore, seeing their obsidian black eyes. The one on the right nodded to him, showing a purple glint, and Ghost nodded back. He gave a pointed glare back to Imperious and backed away, slightly.

"Now, I'm sure you know the deal, Silver," Imperious assumed with a click of his claws, creating a wall of blue flames separating him from the two. "You give me what I want, and I'll return your friends."

Silver gritted his teeth. Though it occurred to him that Imperious had seemingly pulled his name out of thin air, he thought nothing of it and nodded, allowing the dragon to continue.

"I will return your friends to you…" Imperious granted him while rubbing his fingers together. "In exchange, you must tell me everything you know about the monster Iblis. I want to know every last detail." Out of the corner of Silver's eyes, he could see Chameleon looking up toward the dragon in complete surprise.

Silver was a respectable person; at least, he thought that about himself. Knowing well that he would hold his end of the bargain, he argued, "Release them first. _Then _we'll talk."

With a nod, Imperious clicked his claws together again, dissolving the cages into nothing. Knuckles glided on his spines, catching Tails before he completely hit the ground, and landing safely on the ground. The two ran toward the wall of flames, which Silver parted with his psychokinesis. As soon as they crossed, Silver raised his brow. "What about her?"

Imperious grinned widely and made a disregarding motion with his claw. "She is not part of the deal," he declared, and Ghost's eyes visibly quivered with a few tears. "By technicality, she is not _your _friend, Silver. She is not even an acquaintance yet, and she will remain with me."

"Give her back!" Ghost shouted in resilience, but he was held back by one of the armored creatures. The creature was about to unsheathe its sword and slice at Ghost when the second armored being kicked it, disarming it. It pulled of its helmet, revealing the head of a green lion.

"Not right now, Ghost!" The lion yelled at him while looking over at Silver with an almost desperate look. "There's no time to explain! Give me your emeralds!"

Silver, though surprised, handed the lion his white emerald while Tails weakly handed him the yellow one. The lion held these emeralds aloft, shouting out, "CHAOS CONTROL!" Almost immediately, a vortex of swirling colors appeared, just like the one Silver had used to travel through time with Blaze once. "Everybody inside!" the lion shouted while waving them to get in.

Hurriedly, Knuckles jumped through first with Tails, followed by Silver. Ghost remained, staring up at the woman and his wrist was grasped by the lion. "We've got to go, Ghost! There'll be another time! She will still be here when we return!"

He was speechless and merely nodded. "If you say so," he whispered while jumping through the gate with him, leaving the court empty…

^/\^|v\/v

They all met up in a sort of vertigo. As Tails regained full consciousness, he looked around at the gleaming golden space they were in. Images flashed by like visions; only there for a brief moment. "What's going on?" he asked, confused somewhat at the entire situation. It had all gone by like a blur to him.

"We just rescued you guys," the green lion explained while gesturing to John. "John and I are pretty much strangers to you, so we might as well introduce ourselves while were in the Temporal Vestige."

"I'm sorry?" Knuckles interjected in confusion. "The Temporal what?" This phenomenon was new to him, as he'd never taken a trip through time. He gave nervous glances all around, as if he expected an enemy to pop up out from any corner.

The green lion floated around a bit, gesturing to the space around them. "This place is called the Temporal Vestige," he explained carefully. "It's a passage of time we take when we're not exactly sure of our destination. Here, we can exit at any point or place in time if we can narrow down our decision."

The lion then gestured to himself. "My name is Thunder," he introduced himself. Then, pointing at Ghost, he said, "and that solemn fellow over there John Murray."

Ghost turned his head to the side and groaned, "I'd prefer it if you called me by my call-sign: Ghost."

Thunder felt a drop of sweat form on his head and he chuckled. "That works too," he said with a cheesy smile as they all floated through the wormhole.

Tails was still somewhat confused, and he shrugged somewhat. "So, why did you pull us into a time passage?" He asked skeptically. "I mean, you could've just teleported us out."

Ghost shook his head and spoke up. "Listen, all of you. This whole hunt for the Sol Emeralds is bigger than you imagine," he explained, his tone deepening to sound strict. "Imperious is hunting for these things so he can take over the world. It's imperative that we acquire them for ourselves, before he does."

"That still doesn't explain why we needed to travel through time," Silver stated, trying to get to the point.

"The Sol Emeralds are scattered across the timeline," Thunder explained as he swept his vision over the passing images and time periods. He scanned for any indication of the emeralds' existence as he looked back and forth. "To collect them, we'll have to start roaming around; looking for unusual power sources that may indicate their presence… such as this, for example."

He and the others paused in front of one of the time zones. Flashes of moments in time phased in, displaying events that happened in that period of time. The events seemed jittery though… as if some foreign energy was pervading them from witnessing everything. "Normally, when time-travel hasn't made much of a disturbance, a time period is perfectly normal, remaining in its own history," Thunder tutored them, gesturing to the other images and playbacks, which weren't distorted.

Tails scratched his chin as he examined the faulty playback and concluded, "Therefore, if this period is faulty, then some sort of paradox has occurred." Thunder nodded, egging the kit to go on. "And if a paradox has occurred, then time travel is most definitely involved… leaning toward either an interloper, or a Sol Emerald."

Knuckles sported an arrogant grin, cracking his knuckles as he floated toward the period of time. "Shall we go, then?" he suggested with a wide smile, touching the image and promptly disappearing in a flash.

Undeterred, though suspicious of what lay beyond, the others followed, each disappearing in a flash of blinding light.

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

Koran Federation

April-15-2499

13:16 Mobius Time

The group fell from a portal moments later, landing on the hard ground. Whether they landed on their feet or their faces, they all stood up and looked around at their new environment. Knuckles rubbed at his face, having been among those who landed on their faces. "Ugh, where are we?" he asked groggily, rubbing the dirt from his face.

Even as Tails looked around, he was unable to identify their location and simply shrugged. However, with a single glance at a nearby tower, Thunder pointed to it and surveyed, "Anyone ever heard of the Koran Federation?"

As they turned to look, upon the tower, emblazoned in vivid crimson neon, was a sign that proclaimed the words **Koran Federation. **Tails clasped his hands together as he remembered, "Oh yeah, this place!"

Ghost turned to the kit and raised his brow. With a look of mediocre surprise, he questioned, "You've heard of this place, kid?"

"Yeah, this is the town I was researching for a while," Tails explained. "Rumor was that a few years from the present, the town's people suddenly spiked in chaos energy levels. No one knows how, but it couldn't have been due to chaos radiation. Sonic was in possession of the emeralds when this happened."

With a glance to Silver, suggestively hinting toward their goal, Tails continued, "The source of all this power was probably the Sol Emerald… but, something must be amplifying it, to affect every—"

He stopped suddenly as a raccoon ran through, passing them all and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Clear the streets! Clear the streets! They're at it again!"

Suddenly aware of their environment, the Silver and the others noticed that they'd come upon what seemed to be a collapsed stone bridge in the midst of a town. Buildings stood on either side of the bridge, but none stood alongside it. While they didn't run as the raccoon had suggested, they did back up against each other, getting ready for anything that may happen.

Slowly, they noticed that the rooftops of buildings on both sides of the bridge were becoming populated with Mobians of all kinds. On one side was a band of Mobians that all wore bandanas upon their heads, while the opposite side was populated with Mobians whom wore scarfs round their necks.

One of the bandana-topped Mobians jumped forward, displaying himself as a haughty, red falcon. With a decisively pointed finger, he targeted the scarf-garbed Mobians. "We end this today, Katsuyo!" he shouted while the rest of his gang aimed their hands at the scarf gang.

A green-scarfed wolf from the opposite side stepped forward, giving Silver the assumption that he was this 'Katsuyo' person. "Yes, it will end today, Hideki," he responded, giving the signal for his gang to raise their hands in offense.

Ghost could feel the tension rising, as if some thick mist was settling upon them all. From the way he felt however, he knew it must've been more literal than that. The air around the two groups seemed to glow, as if they were using a strange power. With a strict sigh, Thunder groaned, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Gosh, it's been so long! I've been trying, but there's not much I can do, huh? I hope this makes up for everything!**

**Disclaimer: I neither own nor claim Sonic, Sega, or Sonic '06. Chameleon, Imperious, Ghost, and Samantha are property of Nobel 6. Thunder is propety of Gnat1. All music is owned by their respectful artists. (Gosh, my Disclaimer has gotten so long!)**

**Claimer: I own and claim this plot and all characters not affiliated with the above mentioned.**

* * *

XXXXXXXXXX

September-21-2506

12:26 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Krwling" by: Linkin Park**__]_

_I looked around... Here it was: the place where we first met._

_I feel a slap across my face, forcing me down. I was sprawled across the table, my blonde hair dangling in front of my eyes. I sighed. I'd gotten myself into yet another bar-fight… for money, of course. I normally win though; these suckers normally don't get the first strike in. He had gotten lucky; I was already a bit unsettled from the alcohol._

_I knew I'd lost and I shook my head, wiping the blood from my chin. I probably wouldn't be able to get back up after that… It had been a gang fight, 3-on-1. I didn't stand a chance. Accepting my defeat, I slid the money across the table to the men who'd beaten me down, but they wouldn't stop there. With smug grins on their face, the head honcho hoisted me up by my collar._

"_You know, you're a feisty one," he said with a smirk, shoving me against a wall. "I don't like feisty. You need to learn your place."_

_I hadn't exactly understood what he meant by that. To my understanding, men and woman had the same rights. Maybe I was wrongs. In the next second, it didn't matter._

_The man who had pinned me to the wall was unconscious, and I thought I heard a crack from one of his ribs. Another man, suited in a grey trench coat, black pants, and white shoes, had his leg outstretched, as if he'd kicked the man. He gave a slight growl and a glare to the other men. "Get out of here!" he barked at them as he stood over their leader. The other two ran off soon after._

_He looked at me and brushed some of the hair out of my face, looking into my eyes. "Hey, are you okay?"_

"_I'm fine," I had responded with a smile… That was the first time I met John Murray._

…

Imperious walked in on his subject, finding her asleep, grinning as if in a dream. With a grin, he tapped her head, causing her to wake up. She looked around, noticing that she was barred to a wall by the constraints on her wrists and ankles. The two glared into each other's eyes, the woman's blonde hair falling over her emerald irises. "How _are _you feeling today, Samantha?" he asked with disdain, as If he wished no good feelings upon her.

"Depends on what day it is," Sam cattily responded.

"It's Monday."

"Well darn," the woman chuckled out mockingly. "I hate Mondays."

The two entered another lock of gazes in silence momentarily. "John _will _come for me," Sam stated confidently. The dragon that stood over her could've sworn her voice cracked, suggesting that it was more of an attempt to assure herself rather than an act of defiance.

He gleefully decided to crush the act. "That seems highly unlikely," Imperious denied as he glanced behind him, at Chameleon. "Chameleon, bring _'the Spark'_."

The ninja reptile silently nodded as he rushed off, into the darkness. Samantha only chuckled. "_The Spark'_, Imperious?" she mocked him with narrowed eyes. "Really; are you planning to interrogate me? That's so cliché."

"No, Samantha. I'm not interrogating you," Imperious argued with her as Chameleon returned, carrying with him a small stasis tube that held a spark of fire. "What I'm about to do to you is _much _worse."

The dragon held two small gems in his hands. The red and purple chaos emeralds were clutched in his hands, glowing with energy as the spark of flame phased through the canister, floating in front of Sam. "Do you know what this is, Samantha?" Imperious asked, more of a rhetorical question than anything.

"No."

"Then allow me to explain," the dragon began as he gestured to the flame. "This is an essence of the Flames of Disaster; a fragment of a fragmented god. You may refer to it as a wisp of Iblis."

Samantha widened her eyes to the godly wisp that floated in front of her. She quivered in anxiety and looked back over to Imperious, fearing what he would do with the small light source. "What are you doing?"

"You're going to be the vessel," imperious explained as the Chaos Emeralds gleamed with a bright light and the fire began to swirl. "Whether or not you like it."

As though it were a ray of light, the fire beamed toward her, swirling around her and begging to be sealed into her. She widened her eyes and arched her back, screaming in pain from the process. Her eyes rolled back in her head, though she remained conscious all the while of the burning pain that afflicted her.

She felt as though something was tearing at her insides, with the essence of the flames attempting to pierce her soul and combine with her. As scalds appeared on her cracking flesh, she felt the flames' heat eventually begin to die off, returning to the stasis tube. She was left with burns across her body, her rippling red flesh flaking off as she tried to catch her breath.

Tears dripped out of her eyes as she looked back up, into Imperious' eyes, seeing them full of disappointment. "Again," the dragon demanded as he forced the flames upon her once more, drawing echoing screams of pain from the girl. Imperious almost appeared bored by the situation that was set before him, as though her pain was not amusing _enough _for him. He only watched as her skin peeled and cracked, burning away from the intense flames that coiled around her.

In a mere few moments, with trial after trial of implanting the flames, the dragon turned away, not caring for Samantha's whimpering as he made his analysis. "The flames rejected her," he made note of the flames' activity as he spoke to Chameleon. "She is not a proper vessel… We will need to do further research."

As they left, Sam let her head hang down again, tears dripping onto the floor. She sobbed silently, heaving breathes into her chest as she felt the pain. _Help me John… _She prayed. _Please…_

_[Stop Music]_

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"A team is where a boy can prove his courage on his own. A gang is where a coward goes to hide."—__**Mickey Mantle**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Gang War**_

**^/\^|v\/v**

Koran Federation

April-15-2499

13:20 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Burning in the Skies" by: Linkin Park**__]_

The five gazed around them, looking back and forth between the bandanna and scarf gangs, wondering what kind of mess they'd gotten themselves into. "You picked the best spot to drop us, didn't you Knuckles?" Thunder mused dryly.

"It wasn't my fault!" he exclaimed as he pointedly glanced back at the lion in confusion. "I'm telling you, I just went where you told me to!"

"Guys, stop the pointless bickering," Silver muttered, keeping his voice down. He sweated nervously as he looked back up to the gangs. "I think they're watching us."

"What gave you that idea?" Tails mocked him with a sideways glance and a smirk. "We're the only ones here, besides them. What else would they be watching?"

As the group bickered, they soon noticed a boy down below the bridge waving at them. "What are you doing?!" The young dove shouted up to them, his eyes widened in shock that they had remained on the bridge. "Get out of there! You'll get caught in the crossfire!"

With quick consideration on their lack of knowledge of the location, the five scurried down the rubble, beneath the bridge's expanse. They hid behind the wreckage of a bus, looking through the cracked windows at the inevitable conflict. As Ghost examined the groups he took notice of their stances and frowned. "Hey, what's up with that?" he spoke out of a displeasing observation. "They don't have any weapons… no guns; no swords or bows. What do they use to fight?"

He suddenly saw them all raise their hands, a strange energy seeming to perpetrate the air. All at once, the streets lit up with light. "They can use Chaos Energy?" Tails questioned as he saw the familiar blasts of orange and purple energy going back and forth between the gangs, causing explosions here and there.

"Powered by a Sol Emerald, from the looks of it," Silver mentioned as he noticed the color of the blasts. It occurred to him that the blasts took on orange and purple, and he begged to wonder what the goals of the gangs were.

"You mean _the Artifact_, right?" the young dove asked them, which attracted their attention. "It came to us a couple months ago and it's been emitting strange energy for a while now. That's why these gangs have _chaos energy_,as you call it."

The dove then held his hand out, a red flame appearing in his hand. "Everyone here has that power," he explained. The small flame floated above his head and he smiled. "It's a bit different for everyone, but everyone has the power to control chaos energy here."

As the dove looked back up to the fight, he suddenly ducked. "Get down!" he shouted to them. The five dove to the ground just before a stray light beam destroyed the bus.

"We should probably get out of here," The dove suggested, receiving a unanimous nod from the anachronistic group. With gusto, the dove strayed away from the fight, with the group following closely behind. "I've got a small gang myself actually… We're trying to stop the quarreling of these two gangs."

"Do you now?" Ghost asked as they rounded a corner into a small alleyway. He received a short nod from the dove in response. "By the way, what's your name kid?"

The dove smiled and looked at a nearby wall. He pressed a few bricks in, answering, "I'm Inri."

"No last name for yourself, Inri?"

"No, not exactly," he answered as he revealed a passageway into the building's basement. "Follow me," he instructed them, using his chaos powers to light a torch to take through the halls. "This is our base of operation. It's not much, but it's a place to call home."

At the end of the stairwell, Inri exited into a small chamber, lighting up a string of torches on the wall, revealing a dozen other of Inri's companions—all of which were of the aviary branch—circling a small fire. "This is my gang," Inri introduced them all at once. "I would introduce all of them formally, but that's unnecessary. I don't assume you will be staying very long, will you?"

"Not particularly long, hopefully," Silver answered as he took a glance at the small gang. "We're actually looking for a certain item."

"It's come to our knowledge that the item we're looking for is this _Artifact _you told us about," Tails clarified to Inri. The young kit looked into Inri's blue eyes in hidden wonder, seeing a ghostly figure, but he quickly shook his head and the figure was gone. "If you could help us obtain it, we'd appreciate it."

At the mention of the Artifact, a falcon from the fire ring and glared at the kit. "I knew it! They're after the Artifact!" he exclaimed with a pointed finger. "We can't trust them, leader! If they get their hands on the Artifact, who knows what they'll do?"

"That's quite enough, Judas," Inri cut the falcon off, signaling for him to sit back down. Inri smiled to Silver and nodded, as if he understood something. "These are my new friends," the dove explained. "They are going to be removing the Artifact from our city and they'll help us bring about a new wave of peace."

"Peace? Is that what you think will happen?" Judas retorted again, trying to reason. "We need to find and keep the Artifact for ourselves! That will help us keep the peace; not giving it to complete strangers."

At this time, another one of Inri's followers, a young swallow, spoke up, "We should trust leader Inri's words, Judas!" His childish, maturing voice cracked slightly, and the little boy blushed.

"Oh please," Judas rolled his eyes at the swallow, flicking the child in the forehead. "What do you know about decision making? You're just a kid, Peter. You can't just blindly trust one man; we have to come to a consensus on these matters!"

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Peter responded hastily. "I'll have you know that I can make decisions for myself. I have what it takes to make a decision, but I have faith in Inri!"

"Faith can't lead you everywhere in the right direction."

"Ha! Says you; a man with no faith."

"I have faith! But I also have commonsense."

Inri looked back and forth between the two and side, squawking out, "C'mon guys! Cut it out!" His piercing order silenced the two, who nodded and sat back down. As they settled down, the dove breathed a sigh and looked back toward Silver once more. "It won't be easy. Every gang in the city is trying to get the artifact. You encountered the two strongest gangs earlier."

"Wait, you mean the guys with bandanas and scarfs?" Silver questioned, trying to understand.

"That would be correct," Inri replied. "However, we cannot give you much hospitality. We have enough money to pull rations only for ourselves. I do have a friend however who can take you in." The dove gestured back to passageway. "Go find _The Manger _Inn. Tell them _Rex Iudaeorum._ They will be able to accommodate for your needs."

Silver listened to the odd phrase, wondering what it meant. With a shrug though, he offered his hand to shake, which Inri accepted gleefully. "Thanks for your assistance," he gave his thanks as the others began to turn away, and he soon followed in suit.

As they exited from the hidden passageway, Ghost gave a sidelong glance to Thunder, raising his brow. "They're an odd bunch, aren't they?" he commented. "Twelve guys practically worshiping Inri? Don't you find that the least bit strange?"

"It is a bit odd, to have that kind of loyalty," Thunder speculated. He took one final glance at the stone wall before it sealed itself back up. "Let's go find this Inn, shall we?"

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

"Quite the place, huh?" Silver mused as he lay on a bed. They had arrived at the prestigious inn only a few minutes ago, and already it had seemed very hospitable. With their thirst quenched and stomach filled, they relaxed, trying to get everything together.

"It really is," Tails agreed. The suite they had been offered was very accommodating, with a large living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen. It was almost like a small house in essence. The kit glanced up in thought. "And to think that Inri has access to such a nice place."

"It makes you wonder why he doesn't take advantage of it," Ghost shrugged, wondering what had compelled their new friend to give them this room. "Didn't he say he only had enough rations for him and his gang? Why wouldn't he just bring them here?"

Thunder knocked on Ghost's head, figuring that the human was uptight about the entire situation. "Come now, John," he chuckled as he tapped his forehead. "What's with the sudden paranoia? Inri seemed like a nice guy."

The words did nothing to comfort the concerned man as he leant back against the wall, sighing. "That's a hard trait to come by, you know," he said. "Unconditional kindness, I mean. I wonder what game he's playing…"

He left them with that thought as a chilled silence fell upon them. The echidna felt almost suppressed by the air around them, and Knuckles gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes. Silver nodded to the echidna. "You feel it too?" he asked, to which Knuckles nodded slowly. "Someone's watching us…"

The kit was about to turn his head to the window when Ghost stopped him, turning him away. "No, don't turned," he ordered the young one. "He'll just run away if you do that."

Tails followed the order, looking around for something to spot their stalker with. He noticed a full-body mirror opposite to the window and he squatted, trying to get a good look at the surrounding area. "He's a grey weasel; white scarf," the kit reported as he caught sight of their perpetrator. "He's on a roof top, about twenty meters behind us and fifty meters up."

Thunder smiled lightly as he pulled out the yellow and white Chaos Emeralds he had borrowed. "Then let's bring the fight to them," he said with a confident smirk as they all disappeared in a blip of light.

Across on the building, the weasel widened his eyes in surprise as they vanished from his sight. "W-what the heck?" he murmured, anxious about their whereabouts. "Where'd they g—"

He stopped his monologue as he felt someone grab him from behind, cold steel touching his neck. Ghost smirked from the rear as he pressed the knife up against his neck. "Nice you of you to drop in," he mocked as the others surrounded him. "Now tell us why you're spying on us."

The weasel shuddered as he felt the knife cut slightly into his neck and he shivered. "L-look, I don't know anything," he muttered, frightened. "I swear I'm just following orders."

"Following whose orders?" the human demanded harshly, glaring down at their subject. "Answer our questions, or my firm hand might just slip."

The weasel remained in silence, looking down and chuckling darkly. "Katsuyo sends his regards," he answered, whistling loudly. Ghost immediately recognized it as a signal.

He clenched his fist and sliced back with the knife, slitting the weasel's throat. "He's a weasel if I ever saw one," Thunder declared as he backed up against the others. They were being surrounded. Scarf-garbed Mobians had escalated to the building's roof, surrounding them.

"Ha, that was a pun," Tails chuckled lightly, as though he only now saw the joke. "You see, because what he did was weasel-like, and he's a weasel, and—"

"Not the time, Tails," Knuckles said as he dodged a chaos spear. "We've got a problem to deal with."

_[Now Playing: __**"Meant to Live" by: Switchfoot**__]_

The group that surrounded them readied a volley of chaos spears, firing off at them in a quick burst. Ghost managed to shove the others out of the way as he dived to the side, pulling a couple knives from the sheathes on his hip and throwing them with deadly accuracy at their enemy.

Tails back-flipped, dodging another spear before getting up close, whipping his tails around to try and hit one of them, but they were grabbed by a leopard who smirked at him. The kit only smiled and twirled up his tails, spinning them around violently and battering his enemy, before he kicked the leopard off the roof. He looked down for a short time, feeling slight regret as a dog came up behind him.

He was only saved as Knuckles delivered a crushing punch to the canine, causing his ribcage to collapse in. "C'mon Tails," Knuckles assured him, turning the kit around. "We've got a battle to win."

Meanwhile, Thunder moved about with lightning-quick speed, delivering kicks and punches in small doses. The green lion kicked up on one of the enemies, spinning to the side to backhand another opponent, performing many consecutive attacks in fluent succession. He was caught off guard as one of them fired a chaos spear at his feet, tripping him up.

Silver remained in the back, hurling chunks of stone at the gang members from afar with his psychokinesis. As he noticed Thunder's fall, he reached out with his hand, surrounding the lion in a glow of blue that suspended him, keeping him from falling off the building. He set the lion back on the building, letting him continue pulverizing the enemy.

Tails and Knuckles were back to back in the meanwhile. As an enemy charged, Tails whipped around a kick, forcing the attacker back. "I'll have to thank you for all that martial arts training, Knuckles," Tails said confidently as more began to attack. Tails took the arm of a cat and swung him around, knocking him against the other gang members before he delivered a fierce kick to the feline.

"You can thank me later, Tails," Knuckles said with a chuckle as he sidestepped a punch and threw forth one of his own, crushing the skull of his attacker. He then pounded his fist against the roof, shattering the ground and spiking up the ground, catching his opponents off guard. Not to his knowledge though, his recklessness was causing the roof to cave in.

"Knuckles, what have you done?!" Silver shouted as he began to use his psychokinesis to hold the roof together. He glared at the echidna, who sweated nervously, deciding not to attack the roof any longer.

Tails sighed, thrusting a fist to one of the remaining gang-members, attacking him with relentless combinations of kicks and punches. However, the owl was a slightly more skilled fighter, blocking many of the kicks and striking a fierce punch to the kits jaw as he found the opening.

Tails flipped backward, regaining his balance and throwing himself back into the fight. He jabbed up at the owl, who caught the punch and twisted Tails to his knees. "What are you, a little child?" the owl mocked him as he reared back a punch. "Learn your place!"

Before the punch could connect, Knuckles flew in with a kick, knocking the owl off the building. "Hey Tails, you okay?" he asked the kit hastily, helping him up.

Tails nodded meekly, deciding not to linger on the thought. "I'm fine, Knuckles," he assured his friend as he grabbed a hold of Knuckles' wrists. "Should we try it?"

The echidna almost immediately smirked. "I thought you'd never ask," he mused as the kit flew up into the air, with Knuckles in tow. The kit then spun around, flinging Knuckles off toward the other enemies. With a fierce war cry, he pounded into them, landing firmly on the ground with a trail of bodies behind him.

They looked around, smiling. There didn't appear to be any more enemies in the area; however, that changed as Ghost took another glance to Silver. "Silver, watch out!" he shouted to the white hedgehog as an enemy snuck up behind him and readied a kick. By the time Silver realized he was being attacked, it was already too late.

Silver skidded across the roof top, moaning from the kick as he rolled over, onto his feet. "I lost control of my psychokinesis!" he exclaimed shortly after as the roof rumbled, collapsing and bring down all the other floors.

In the rubble they stood, trying to regain their bearings. "Ugh, what happened?" Tails moaned as he held his head, a bruise on the back of it.

"Silver lost his focus on holding up the roof, so it collapsed," Ghost answered, looking around at the ruinous rubble. "It doesn't look like any of them survived, though."

"Hey, look up there!" Silver shouted out, pointing to a scarfed wolf who stood atop a hill of the rubble. A glare pierced them, his decisive eyes and ears listening to them as he thought about them.

With a smirk he nodded to them. "So, you're the new bunch that appeared in our most recent gang war, huh?" he asked, interested in them. "And you've taken a liking to Inri, huh?"

Thunder raised a brow, crossing his arms defiantly. "So what if we have?" he asked, suspicious of the wolf.

The wolf then raised his hands, as if in surrender from any other accusations. For a moment, his dark glare subsiding. "I know what you're thinking," he said with an innocent expression. "You think I'm a bad guy, but I'm not!"

This surprised them slightly, that this wolf was submitting himself as someone who wasn't an enemy. From the recent attack, they were certain he was against them, but by the way he had surrendered himself, he didn't appear to be evil at all; rather he seemed to be a kind person.

The wolf smiled and waved to them, a bright expression coming about his face. "My name is Katsuyo Masayoshi. I'm wondering if you could help me out."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Wow, it's been a long time! It's nice to finally be able to post something again! I hope this meets your expectations!**

**Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything from Sega, Sonic Team, Sonic X, or Sonic '06. Imperious, Chameleon, Ghost, Samantha, and Cynthia (wow, long list) all belong respectfully to Nobel Six. Thunder is property of Gnat1. All music is merely suggested and owned by the corresponding artist. Please support the official releases.  
**

**Claimer: I own this plot and all characters not affiliated with the above mentioned.  
**

* * *

XXXXXXXXXX

September-22-2506

8:47 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"So What I Lied" by: Sick Puppies**__]_

_Maybe things would've turned out differently if things didn't happen the way they did. Now that I think about it, I know in my heart that John would never have succumbed that easily… But what I saw overrode those thoughts._

_The entire apartment building was burning rubble, but I remember everything as it happened. "Cynthia, get out!" John yelled at me, and I noticed that he was trying to defuse a couple bombs in our small apartment. I could see a layer of sweat on him as he nervously tried to defuse them._

"_B-big brother?" I stuttered as I looked at the bombs, ready and waiting to explode. My young eyes quivered at the sight as I backed away. "But, what about you?"_

"_That doesn't matter right now!" he yelled at me as he reached for his hip holster. From it he pulled one of his polished black pistols that he always kept with him: a Jericho 941. He then tossed it to me with the holster and I blinked._

_He would always tell me about that gun; so often that I had its specs memorized—9x19 Parabellum rounds, 15 rounds per mag, short recoil action, semi-auto, 112 millimeter barrel, 150 millimeter sight-line radius. I was about to ask him why he gave it to me before he yelled at me to get out. Without further questioning, I proceeded to run out of the apartment building._

_It wasn't long afterward that the entire building was engulfed in flames, crashing to the ground in a monstrous dust cloud. All that was left was burning rubble in the place of the home I once had. With my brother most likely killed in the explosion—and if not that, then crushed by the debris—my teary eyes let loose their weeping and I knelt in my sorrow._

…

In her dank barracks of Imperious' domain, a young woman sighed softly, polishing her pistol. Her mocha-brown eyes glistened in the firelight as she brushed aside the brown hair from her eyes. "Jericho 941," she recited to herself as she polished it, passing the time. "9x19 Parabellum rounds, 15 rounds per mag, short recoil action, semi-auto, 112 millimeter barrel, 150 millimeter sight-line…"

"Cynthia!" Her name was called and she snapped her head up, sitting straight as Chameleon strode through her doors. "Imperious wants you on guard duty for the new prisoner."

She raised her brow, holstering her pistol as she stood up and stretched her limbs. "New prisoner?" Cynthia asked as she gathered her belongings. "I was… unaware that we had a new prisoner."

"Well, looks like you're aware now, aren't you?" Chameleon mused with a chuckle at his own joke. Cynthia, however, was not amused and the ninja could see it on her face. He coughed, clearing his throat. "Seriously though, Imperious wants you to report to the holding cell immediately."

Cynthia rolled her eyes and shook her head, briskly walking out the entrance, bumping against Chameleon on the way out. She always got an odd feeling from that reptile; one that she didn't quite understand. Perhaps it was similar to the eeriness she felt when she walked along the blue torch-lit halls, but she disregarded that for the time being.

As she entered the dungeon-like prison area, she began to feel the confining uneasiness that she assumed kept many prisoners from sleeping. Maybe some of them got used to it, but the new prisoner would probably be wide awake and terrified.

As she had guessed, she found the blonde-haired woman chained to a wall, her eyes pried open with fear and her body covered in burns. Sometimes Cynthia questioned Imperious' treating of the prisoners, but she disregarded it as something that wasn't her business. "Hey, you there," she said, trying to rouse the prisoner. "You the new girl?"

The woman raised her head only enough to nod. Cynthia smiled softly and said, "I'm Cynthia; your new guard. You can relax though. I won't hurt you."

The chained woman smiled lightly, almost forced. "I'm Samantha," she responded meekly, almost afraid.

Cynthia frowned at the mention of her name. "Funny," she said as she observed Samantha. "I used to have a friend named Samantha."

Samantha noticed the hint of regret—it seemed to be—in her voice and she sighed. "Did something happen to her?" she asked, attempting to forward the conversation.

A huff was all that was elicited from Cynthia, turning away at the thought. "Not that I know of; it's been so long since I've seen her," she said. "I would've liked to see her one last time though. I wonder sometimes if she ever found out that my brother died."

"Were they close? Your brother and your friend, I mean."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes a bit in Samantha's direction. "You ask a lot of questions," she pointed out disapprovingly. "Not many of which I will further answer."

"What about your brother's name?" The blonde prisoner asked, thoroughly intrigued. "What time did this happen? Were they betrothed?"

Cynthia only glared at her, remaining silent and stoic as she turned around, disregarding the prisoner. "That's… That's personal…" she answered, looking away as she casually unloaded and reloaded her pistol. With the prisoner of many questions in this eerie dungeon, she knew that—for her at least—it was going to be a long day.

_[Stop Music]_

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap."—__**Cynthia Heimel**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 6**_

_**It's Dangerous to Go Alone**_

**^/\^|v\/v**

Koran Federation

April-15-2499

18:27 Mobius Time

Later in the day, with explanations given and stomachs empty, the coagulation of anachronisms were led by their new ally—Katsuyo Masayoshi; the leader of the scarf gang—to a nearby café to meet the needs of their body. They noted that many of the staff there wore strange scarfs, which Katsuyo had soon explained.

"This restaurant is run by my gang," he said to them. Many of the staff gave greetings to their leader as they served drinks. "Everything here is on the house for you guys."

The smell of roasting coffee wafted through the small café, prompting the time-travelers to get a cup each for themselves. Upon obtaining the brew, settling down so that things may be clarified, Ghost raised a brow to Katsuyo in question. "So let me get this straight," he said. "Your group secretly supports Inri?"

The lupine Masayoshi nodded and leant on the table, his hands clasped in a cold and calculating manner. "That's the gist of it," he said. "We support Inri by fighting against the bandana gang, keeping them from obtaining the Artifact before we decide what to do with it."

Silver, with the image of a Sol Emerald held clearly in his mind, forwarded the question, "What exactly is this _artifact_?" he asked. It was an understandable question, as this mysterious power source was always solely referred to as the unidentified _artifact. _"What does it look like? Do you know its origin?"

Katsuyo shrugged as he thought deeply on the question. "Only Inri could tell you exactly what it is," he said. "No one really knows its origin, its shape, its appearance… For all we know, it could be anything. If anyone knows anything about the Artifact, it's Inri. He seems to have a knack for the unorthodox and obscure things."

Knuckles frowned and scratched his head. "He did seem to have some finite control over that chaos fire he made," he mused as he reminisced on the dove's characteristic flame. "He looked to me like he had been training with chaos powers for years with that kind of expert control."

Katsuyo shook his head almost immediately. "Impossible," he claimed. "The power source has only been around for little less than a year, and even _I _still don't have complete control over the advanced things. I've not once seen Inri practice with chaos energy on a daily basis, so I wouldn't expect him to have this _expert control _that you describe."

"Then it seems we have an inconsistency in our observations," Tails clarified while delightfully sipping his coffee. He slipped a small herb—a mint leaf—into the coffee and let it simmer as he continued. "Inri isn't letting onto something… and I don't like it."

At the subtle suggestion, Katsuyo narrowed his gaze at the young kitsune. "Are you suggesting that Inri is lying or keeping secrets?" He asked in a threatening tone.

Not wanting to beget another conflict, Tails raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I never said anything about lying," he said. "But think about this for a moment. Everyone keeps secrets. I keep secrets, you keep secrets; everyone has some part of their life that they cut off from others. It's a perfectly logical suggestion that Inri is keeping a personal secret."

"But… but…" Katsuyo muttered under his breath, unable to come up with a suitable comeback. He thusly quieted himself with a sigh and swirled around the coffee in his cup. Succumbing to the present suggestion, he asked, "What do you think Inri is hiding?"

Thunder shook his head with a slight hum. "No, not hiding," he said. "No, it's just a secret. Not something that could possibly be malevolent. I think that Inri has a special trait that he keeps under wraps, just waiting for the most opportune time to utilize it."

Figuring that the dove's secret wasn't instilled with malcontent, Katsuyo smiled and scratched between his ears. "Well, that's comforting at least," he murmured. As he stretched his limb, he stood from the table and pushed away his coffee. "I believe I'm finished here," he said to them. "You're welcome to come with me. We'll be launching the final attack to drive back the bandana gang today. Maybe after they're gone, you'll find what you're looking for."

With only a mere nod to his companions, Silver smirked and offered his hand forward for a shake. "You've got a deal, Katsuyo."

The wolf, gazing into the firm blue eyes of the hedgehog, nodded and grasped his hand firmly. "I'll look forward to fighting alongside you."

^/\^|v\/v

April-16-2499

11:28 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"The Requiem" by: Linkin Park**__]_

Away in his gang's hideout, away from the rest of the world, Inri meditated before a small pool of water. He prayed in a long-forgotten language as he washed his hands in the water constantly. It was a small practice that he did every now and again to keep himself morally and spiritually clean.

To his gang staff, it seemed to be something that the youthful dove did all too often. Praying for hours on end, as Judas once remarked with a scoff, brought them no closer to their goal of obtaining the Artifact.

Yet, regardless of their constant complaints, rebuttals, or objections, the young Inri continued to pray. It seemed to be something that was drilled into him from a young age, kept part of his daily protocol before meals and other instances of the day.

At this particular moment, Inri prayed for many things. He was well aware that his newfound friends were preparing for combat, lest they already be engaged in it, and he wished for their wellbeing. Often enough, he gave a benediction for his friends; for the poor, suffering, and lame. His prayer extended far beyond his inner circle, to even those he had never seen before. He frowned as he felt a pang in his chest and he heaved a cough. "There's been a great disturbance…" he mused shortly.

Upon finishing his extensive prayer, the dove's eyes were teary and he washed his hands in the pool. Sighing, he remained kneeled on the stone floor, breathing cold air as he felt the tip of a blade poking against the back of his neck. "So, you are the one father said would betray me?" Inri noted as he looked at his apprehender's appearance in the reflection of the pool, his gaze passing sadly over the piercing eyes of a falcon. "Are you not, Judas?"

Many Mobians flooded into the dank chamber, their hands teeming with chaos energy as they took aim at the dove. Even with the expression of a traitor written upon his face, Judas couldn't stop the tears of remorse from welling in his eyes. "It was meant to be, Inri," he said almost defensively. "Even you know that."

Inri was restrained by a few of the members and led out of his chamber, when young Peter from Inri's group of disciples barged through the doors, crying hysterically. "How could you, Judas?!" he screamed as he aimed his hand forward in rage, firing a blast of concentrated chaos energy that sliced right through one of the gangsters.

As they all rose their hands in retaliation, Inri shouted to them, "Wait, stop!" Upon this order, Judas ordered them to lower their hands and allow the two some space. Inri walked over to the shot man who was wailing from the pain and clutching his shoulder, trying to muffle his noises. Inri laid his hand over the wound and it instantly healed.

Gasps of awe went around the room as Inri knelt before Peter. "No Peter, what did I tell you?" he scolded the young child.

Peter looked away, feeling abashed for his rash behavior. "You told me not to use my powers…" he said, reluctantly adding, "Not even on my enemies."

Inri nodded to him and pulled the youngling into his arms, a tight embrace holding them together. "My time has come, Peter," he addressed him. "It's my time to fulfill my purpose. No need to fret, little one. I will always be here." As if to assure the young swallow, Inri poked Peter's left breast; right over his heart.

With the small moment between them wrapped up, Judas nodded to his band of infiltrators and said, "Take him away." The dove then went without a word while Peter cried without a sound.

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

_[Now Playing: __**"War" by: Sick Puppies**__]_

"Damn, get down!"

Another devastating explosion erupted from the ground as Ghost dove behind the cover of some building ruins. Beside him were his companions and he huffed, somewhat scared. "Did you know they had mortars?!" he shouted to them over the noise of lobbing chaos spears.

Silver shook his head and jumped out into the open as another mortar was fired against them. A green glow warped around him and he stopped the mortar in its tracks. With a slightly pained expression, he fired the mortar back at the sender using his psychokinesis. "Great work, Silver!" Knuckles said as he patted the silver hedgehog's shoulder.

In the midst of the battlefield, it was all-out combat, a place that Knuckles found most comfortable as he launched himself forward into a few bandana-sporting enemies, rendering them unconscious. A few fellow Scarfs cheered as they took their hand in lobbying chaos attacks and physical combating.

"You guys aren't so bad," the echidna complimented them as he crashed his fist into the ground, erupting a quake from the ground and throwing about up parts of the earth that bashed into their enemy.

"We've got to get on the offensive, guys!" Tails ordered as he flew up, diving down and into the heat of battle, whipping around a fierce kick that knocked a few of the bandana gangsters on their backs. The young kit back-flipped to avoid an incoming chaos spear, gritting his teeth when he was blindsided by another chaos spear that exploded in his back. He rolled to the side, through a destroyed market and groaned from the pain.

As he looked around in the small market, he noted that it dealt in arms and he took a small Hi-Point pistol. He also retrieved a few .45 ACP magazines for the pistol and he aimed around the corner, firing and putting a hole in the heart of one of the Bandanas. It almost hurt him to put a bullet in the gangster, but he disregarded his remorseful feelings as he fired off more rounds into their enemies, placing accurate hits on his targets.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he gyrated on the spot, pointing his pistol at the perpetrator when he saw Thunder. "Take a breather, pal," the lion spoke to young Tails as he grabbed Tails' hands and lowered them. The kit was heaving heavy breaths, bags under his eyes, and Thunder sighed, realizing that the kit hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. "Let me handle this."

The lion, with superiorly trained speed, rushed out into the ruinous battlefield, claws extended. With graceful yet fierce twirls and slashes, Thunder let the blood of their enemies flow and trail around him. He tackled a nearby enemy who had a mind to punch the lion, and the lion's claws sank into the Bandana's skull. He dragged the body and tossed it amidst other Bandana's distracting them long enough for him to cut threw though with ease.

"Throwing a kid into war like this," Thunder mused with a shake of his head, looking toward Ghost with a frown. "It's not right."

Ghost merely shook his head and crouched behind cover, peering over to get a clear shot with his pistol. It had been a bother for all of them, letting young Tails participate in war like this. Knuckles, of course, vouched for the kit, having seen the young fox in action himself. It meant little when comparing Tails' battle experience to his wrenching disgust of witnessing death.

"You have to realize, Thunder," the human said as he cracked his knuckles. Peering over cover again, he noticed a bandana gangster mere inches from his and he cracked a few quick punches into the enemy mouse. "In this line of work, not everything we do will be morally right. Heck, most of the things we do will probably break major laws. Few people will believe our time-travel story. This is just the kind of life we'll be leading."

Thunder nodded with a sigh, understanding that the hardened man was probably right, and he ducked behind cover with him. Soon after, Katsuyo dove behind the cracked wall with them. He peered around at the ravaged streets for a moment before asking them, "Alright, you remember that falcon from a few days ago? The one leading the bandanas?" A nod of confirmation was all the wolf needed as his green scarf whipped in the wind. "His name is Hideki Hayabusa. If we're going to win this gang war, it's absolutely necessary that we take him out. Lethal or non-lethal, we can always deal with him later. As long as he's not standing on that battlefield, we've got a chance."

Ghost grunted in the affirmative, chucking a grenade from his belt over the wall, with screams of pain being heard from the other side. He peered through a small hole in the wall, just large enough for him to see the entire battlefield.

Many mangled and destroyed buildings lay in their path, but atop a small hill, he could still see Hideki ordering around his gang members, and he knew that it would be easy pickings from this position. He pulled out his pistol slowly, holding his breath as he aimed through the small hole, lining up his sights with the falcon's head.

As he was about to pull the trigger, an explosion sounded and the wall they had been using was blown to smithereens, causing the three to stumble back to avoid the stony shrapnel and other flying debris. "I had a clear shot on him too," Ghost groaned with slight remorse.

Katsuyo nodded and waved his hand forward to his fellow gangsters and allies. "Push 'em back! Get up that hill!" he shouted in order as his gang began to swarm the battlefield, as if a reservoir had blown and the Scarfs flooded into the field. Flying lights flew overhead as chaos spears rained down on the Bandanas, pushing them back up the hill.

"This is how it's done, comrades!" Katsuyo yelled in succession as they charged at them. Shouts could be heard from both sides of the battlefield, both with the same intensity.

Knuckles strode over to Tails, who was still shaking behind cover and he offered the kit his hand. Tails looked up and smiled to his echidna elder, taking the hand and standing up. "Onward to victory, right Tails?" Knuckles reminded him, causing the kit to chuckle.

"Onward indeed, Knuckles," he replied as he reloaded his pistol. "Let's go get them."

They could see Hideki's forces being whittled away as they charged up the hill, and it wasn't long before the bandana gang was little but a small platoon against a vast army that surrounded them. Katsuyo walked forward to them, crossing his arms as he came face to face with Hideki. "What do you have now, Hideki?" He asked the falcon. "You're forces are all but gone. You're followers are whittling thin. What do you have now?"

The red falcon leader of the bandana gang smirked. "I have this," he said as two other Bandana's lead a bound dove out from the midst of their group. Inri looked up at them with nearly empty eyes, a sort of almost hopelessness entering them.

_[Stop Music]_

Away from the rest of the group, Judas could be seen averting his eyes. Tails looked over to Judas and immediately saw the remorse in his eyes. "Judas?" He asked. "How could you?"

Hideki answered that for them as he punched his fellow falcon in the arm, though Judas didn't exactly seem to appreciate it. "Judas here is my little bro," he claimed as he smirked in response to Katsuyo's glare, seeing that he had gained the upper hand easily. "I've had him as a sleeper agent in Inri's little group for quite some time."

"Let the kid go, Hideki," Katsuyo said threateningly. He had developed a special bond with the small dove, and he didn't want to see it ruined at the hands of his enemy. "He doesn't have to be dragged into this. Inri has nothing to do with it. Let him go."

Hideki only smirked. "I'll let the kid go, sure," he said. "I have a condition. I want you to surrender your gang, and allow me to take the Artifact."

Katsuyo backed away slightly, an important decision now resting on his shoulders. This dilemma had him a bit muddled as he wondered what to do. To have the life of his friend and risk the safety of the city, or lose him to obtain the ultimate power?

"Don't do it, Katsuyo," Inri said, a sudden smirk appearing on the dove's face, as though the expression of hopelessness from before was only a mere façade. Then, redirecting his speech to Hideki, he glared a warning, "If you kill me, I will become far more powerful than anything you've ever dreamed of."

Hideki only glared down at the dove. "Quite the threat, coming from someone like you," he said as he pulled a knife from his belt and positioned it Inri's heart.

Katsuyo felt something in his young friend's reassurance that put power into him and he cracked his knuckles, walking back toward Hideki. Even though his young friend was at deaths door, he had a feeling that he could trust him. "I'm not letting you have the Artifact, Hideki," he said.

The falcon's expression turned sour as he tightened his grip on the knife. "Then I'm not letting you have your friend," he said spitefully as he plunged the knife into Inri's chest.

Everyone gasped for a moment, tears in the eyes of a few as they saw the child's eyes widen. As Inri tried calming himself, he looked back up to Hideki and smirked weakly. "So, this is how you end, huh?"

Hideki was about to ask about why he hadn't died immediately before white flashed, blinding all of them.

_**I am Lord of all! The Savior that has been called upon by the scriptures! And I have come to purge you of your sins!**_

* * *

_****_**AN: You've been patient enough, so I've decided that you shall be awarded with one explanation for the plot:**

**Inri: "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum." It literally translates into "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I was finally able to finish this! I hope you all like reading this as much as I liked writing it.**

**Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything from Sega, Sonic, or Sonic '06. Music is only suggested and all rights are reserved for the appropriate artist. Ghost, Samantha, Chameleon, Imperious, Cynthia, and Jack are all rightfully owned by Nobel Six. Thunder is rightfully owned by Gnat1.  
**

**Claimer: I claim and own this plot and all characters no affiliated with the above mentioned.  
**

* * *

April-16-2499

14:36 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Waiting for the End" by: Linkin Park**__]_

Silver snapped his eyes open after the blinding light had passed on. He looked around warily, realizing that he was in a huge grey space. "What is this?" he asked into the open, trying to search for someone. "Tails? Knuckles? Anyone there?!"

"You won't find them. At the very least, you won't find them here."

Silver turned around and noticed that the dove child he'd known as Inri was standing before him, with massive angel wings protruding from his back, splaying out with a vibrant white shine in the feathers. The hedgehog stumbled back upon seeing them, amazed at the size of the wings that spanned two or three body lengths. "Inri?" he questioned upon seeing the dove. "But, I thought you were dead!"

The dove only shook his head and materialized two chairs in the grey space. "As you can see, that isn't so," he said. "Come, sit. I have much to discuss with you, young one."

The psychokinetic, though a bit nervous, sat down in one of the chairs and glanced over to Inri again. "So, where are we anyway?" Silver asked, confused. "What happened? What's going on? Why aren't you dead?!"

The glorious dove chuckled nervously and shook his head. "One question at a time, young one," Inri suggested, giving Silver time to calm down. Once his guest was tranquil, Inri went on explaining, "This is a rift in time and space that I created. I made it so that you and I could have our little chat."

Silver nodded, slowly understanding the situation. "And… you are alive! Why?"

"To tell you the truth, I was never truly alive," the dove admitted with a sigh. "I am—what your people might've called it—the Messiah. I am God's son incarnate, sent to help this city in its great time of need. When I _died_, my powers were unleashed in the way they were meant to be; through the body and eyes of a child."

Silver looked on at Inri, crossing his arms and humming as he processed this information. "How do I know you're this _Messiah_?"

In light of the question, Inri gave him a calculating gaze and spoke, "You're name is Silver, you specialize in psychokinetic powers. You're on a mission to collect all seven Sol Emeralds so you can rescue your good friend Blaze from a pocket dimension she sealed herself in."

A short silence existed between the two before Silver sighed. "Fair enough," he declared. "So… what exactly did you do to _save _everyone?"

Inri shrugged and waved his hand, creating a small window in the dimension, through which they could see the Koran Federation; its great buildings rebuilt, as if nothing had ever happened. People walked through the streets, unafraid of any imminent battles or raging wars. "I altered history," the dove explained. "Without the _Artifact_, there was no reason for quarrel between gangs. There are no extraordinary powers, and no one has any reason to fight anyone."

Silver was awed at the scene he saw, as serene as it was. But as he thought about it, he scratched his head, a bit puzzled. "So, what did you do with the Sol Emerald then?" He asked. "I mean, where is it now? I kinda need that emerald."

Inri only smiled and reached into the feathers of his wings. "Ah, but that's the best part, my young one," he spoke with an almost giddy smile. From his wing he pulled out a rectangular shaped gem with a white coloration to it. Light seemed to shine from within, and it illuminated the space. "I'm entrusting the care of this emerald to you, that it may never fall into evil hands. You are to be the sole protector of this emerald.

"Remember child, you are on a long and arduous journey that will take you to ever corner of time and space and back again. You will meet beings with more power than even I, and whether they are friend or foe to you, you must go through with this quest. The fate of the world is resting on your shoulders."

Silver nodded, still a bit awed from the things that he'd witnessed. "It's not just about Blaze anymore… is it…?" he muttered, a bit discouraged.

Though Inri shook his head, he reached forward and put a hand on the young hedgehog's head. "Though the scope of your mission may no longer be just your loved one, keep her in mind. She will be your light in the dark, and your hope for salvation when the proper time comes."

With his piece said, Silver's visions began to go white. He felt a daze suddenly come over him and he fainted.

_[Stop Music]_

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."__**—Mother Teresa**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Little Packages**_

**^/\^|v\/v**

Konan Federation

April-16-2499

9:16 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"New York State of Mind" by: Billy Joel**__]_

When Silver woke up, he was standing with the others. Of course, this sudden change in position caused him to stumble as blood rushed to his head. Lucky for him, Tails was close enough that he was able to catch him. "Ah, Silver!" the kit shouted in surprise. "You okay? What just happened?"

The hedgehog looked around, surprised to find that he was back in the new and improved Koran Federation. He swished his head around frantically. "Hey, where's Inri?" he asked. "And what happened to the fight? And the war? And…"

"Whoa there, buddy," Ghost said, trying to get Silver to calm down. "Slow down a bit. What war? Who's Inri?"

Silver looked around, still feeling a bit confused, wondering if his meeting with Inri had been a dream or not. "I… but… he… what?" he ended up muttering out his jumbled thoughts in confusion.

Knuckles rolled his violet eyes and pointed his thumb at a wolf wearing a police uniform. "Masayoshi here was about to give us a tour of the city," he explained, knocking on the hedgehog's head. "Did you fall and hit your head or something? We got here yesterday; does that ring any bells?"

Silver simply sighed, with only memories of the gang war in his mind. "Um… never mind," he disregarded his own words.

Now that everything had been cleared up, Katsuyo smiled and beckoned them to come with him. "Well, if everything is figured out, then how about I show you folks around the city?"

With a gentle nod from everyone—excluding Silver, who gave a puzzled grunt—Katsuyo led the way and everyone filed in behind him. The wolf led them all over the picture-perfect town and—just as Silver had seen in his time with Inri—the city was spotless, as though war had never even touched its borders. People bustled about, going from place to place, without a care in the world.

"We are a very trade-centered country," Katsuyo explained. "Seeing as we're a port city on a small island, a lot of our economy benefits from trading between countries and cities, allowing our people to live in relative calm."

As the anachronistic group traveled around with Katsuyo, they soon stopped at café for something to eat. _The Scarf_—as the café was called—was inhabited by many laughing and smiling people, who enjoyed their afternoon. As for the staff, Silver smirked. The one thing so far that hadn't changed in the city was that the staff all wore fancy scarfs round their necks.

Once they had all sat down and gotten something to drink, Silver sighed. "Um… guys?" he said, trying to speak up to everyone. Though it took a bit of time, they had quieted down enough for him to speak comfortably. "I, uh… I have something to tell you all."

Only Thunder smirked a bit. "Look at you, Silver!" he said. "Finally decided to come out of the closet, did you? Don't worry, we don't mind."

The psychokinetic hedgehog blushed and coughed up his coffee at the suggestion. "What? No!" he said as he regained his composure. After a laughing episode from everyone, the hedgehog reached into his fur and pulled out the white Sol Emerald that Inri had given to him. "I, uh… picked this up yesterday," he lied, trying to make it sound reasonable. "I wanted to give it to Tails to examine it, but he was already asleep."

Everyone at the table gasped as the object was brought out. However, Katsuyo frowned a bit. "Um… what is that thing?" he asked, unsure of what the object was.

Tails looked at the gem skeptically and picked it up to see it for himself. He took his time examining it, checking it with his energy radar and comparing it to Chaos Emerald he had. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the results and Tails smiled, putting the Chaos Emerald away after his tests had been administered. "It's genuine alright," he said confidently as he held up the white, rectangular gem. "A genuine Sol Emerald."

Knuckles crossed his arms, a vein pulsing on his forehead. "Wait, so you're telling me that we could've been out of here yesterday?" he stated, feeling a bit agitated. "Why didn't you tell us?! We could've been in another world, looking for another emerald by now!"

Ghost groaned and furrowed his brow. "Geez Knuckles, give the kid a break," he scolded the rowdy echidna guardian. "He was at least respectful enough to let us sleep. More than we can say about you."

Knuckles' face was flushed in embarrassment and he crossed his arms. "Whatever," he mumbled in defeat, at a loss for how to respond.

Tails stood from the table suddenly, pushing away his finished drink as he looked at the rest of his party. "If we have the emerald, we might as well get a move on," he declared. "No use in sticking around."

Thunder nodded, standing up himself. "He's got a point," the lion declared while putting his mug down. "For all we know, Imperious' men could be out searching for more emeralds and we're just sitting here."

Coming to this conclusion was enough to imbue them with the energy they needed to get going. After paying the tab, they all stood up and filed out of the café, one by one. Katsuyo stuck around for a little while longer, reluctant to go after them. "Don't you want to finish your coffee?" he shouted to them. Seeing as they ignored him however, he simply sighed and sat back down, sipping from their coffee.

When they had all arrived at the outskirts of the city, Silver took one last look at the city and smiled, glad that it had turned out better than he had expected. "Yo Silver, c'mon!" Ghost called him over, pulling the hedgehog out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, coming!" he made his delayed response before running over to them. He watched as Knuckles and Thunder prepared the portal, incanting the words that activated chaos control and allowed them access to the Temporal Vestige.

As everyone leaped into the portal, Silver took another glance at the city and he sighed. "You know, I have a weird feeling I'm never gonna see this place again," he said.

Tails gave a sidelong glance to the hedgehog and blinked. "And that's a bad thing?" he asked.

Silver looked over to Tails, giving only a shrug. "No, not weird in a bad way," he clarified. "Just… weird."

The kit rolled his eyes. "Maybe you're just weird," he suggested before hopping into the portal.

Upon giving the city another once over, Silver shrugged. "Yep," he muttered to himself before jumping into the portal. "I'm just weird."

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

"Hey Ghost—or, John or whatever your name is… do you mind if I ask you something?" The man in question looked back at the silver hedgehog who had spoken to him, his eyes full of curiosity. "I mean, since we're just gonna spend time floating in the vestige and all."

Ghost raised a brow and sighed, turning around and facing the hedgehog. "Sure kid, go ahead," he offered unenthusiastically. _What's the worst he can ask? _he thought musingly as he tried to relax.

A short silence stretched between them in the weightless environment and they simply floated through it, drawing out the moment. "It's about that girl, back in Imperious' lair," Silver began as he intertwined his fingers nervously. "Well… what is she to you? You seemed like you really wanted to get her back."

Ghost sighed and nodded slowly, formulating his answer. "Ah, you mean Samantha?" he clarified, giving the woman's name. For a brief moment, he pictured the blond haired, blue eyed woman whom plagued his thoughts and he sighed. "She is… the one person in my life who I really love," he muttered. "She was… I mean she _is _my girlfriend."

Silver could see the trench-coated human clutching at a small black box in his leather gloved hand. In his curiosity, the hedgehog flew around to get a better look at, but Ghost merely gave him a sidelong glance before putting it back in the pockets of his trench coat. "What's in the box?" he asked, trying to get a bit more info about his comrade.

Ghost only sneered a bit and turned away, floating away from Silver. "Go bother someone else," he groaned, an annoyed tone peaking in his voice. The human tried to hide his face from view so that the red in his cheeks couldn't be seen. He flew off to check a couple of exits in the timeline, trying to find a distortion.

Meanwhile, Silver flew back over to Thunder, the other person on his team that he didn't know very well. "Um… Hey there, Thunder," he mumbled in an attempt to start a conversation. "Um… What's your favorite color?"

The green lion only looked at him apathetically. "You really gotta think of a better way to start a conversation," Thunder noted before crossing his arms. "My favorite color is green."

Silver nodded. "That's nice. My favorite color is—"

"I'm gonna be honest, Silver," the lion said with a furrowed brow. "If you want to know something about me, then ask the serious questions. I don't care what your favorite color is, and I'm sure that you don't care either."

Silver simply sighed and stretched his neck. "Fair enough," he admitted. "How do you specialize in fighting?"

This question caused Thunder to smile. "Now that's a serious question," he responded with more enthusiasm than before. "I like hand-to-hand combat, but I use my claws if I have to."

Silver nodded, thinking of another good question. "What about special abilities?" he wondered. "Do you have anything like that?"

Thunder only shrugged. "I don't particularly have anything special," he mused. "Though I can transform into a more bestial form if I concentrate hard enough."

Silver nodded and then looked over to Ghost, still curious about him. "What about Ghost?" he asked quietly, so as not to be heard by said human. "Does he have any special powers?"

Thunder frowned, glancing at the human. "John, huh…" he mumbled. "You know, in my days of working with him, I've seen him use a variety of abilities, but he's refused to give me a list of what he can do. For all I know, he can do anything."

Silver widened his eyes, glancing to the seemingly normal human and trying to imagine him as almost a god-like figure and laughing inwardly. "Anything, huh?"

"Don't take my word for it, though," Thunder reminded him cautiously. "That's just what I think."

"Hey, ladies!" Knuckles shouted back to them. Thunder and Silver looked up to see the echidna pointing at an exit in the time stream. "We've got another disturbance over here!"

Silver and Thunder soon joined the others as they surrounded an exit in the vestige. "So," Tails began. "Can anyone make out where this is? Or _when_ this is?"

Thunder analyzed the portal that showed their next destination and sighed, giving a shrug. "It's no place on Mobius that I've ever seen."

They all stared intently at the portal, wondering what kind of place lay beyond it. Suddenly, Knuckles floated forward and smirked. "Well?" he asked impatiently. "What are we waiting for? Let's go already!" With those words said, the echidna swiftly dived into the portal.

"There he goes again," Silver groaned as he looked on at the portal.

Tails did the same and stretched his shoulder. "You'd think he would've learned from last time, right?"

Ghost sighed and peered into the world. "Do you think we should go after him?" He wondered aloud.

Thunder only scoffed, laughing a bit at the situation. "Do we have a choice?" he pondered before floating in after Knuckles, soon to be followed by the others.

^/\^|v\/v

Valhalla

August-20-1122

18:13 Mobius Time

The landing in this new place was a bit more coordinated this time around, and everyone landed on their feet. However, upon looking around, they were unsure if they had landed at all. The scene was an odd one, with skies shrouded in clouds and rocks floating about in the air, as if gravity forgot to include them. In the distance, a pillar of orange light could be seen shooting up into the sky from a fortress.

"What a strange place…" Thunder mused. The lion jumped into the air to check gravity, and sure enough, he fell right back down to the ground. "Gravity seems to be okay."

While Tails went to go investigate the floating rocks, the others sat down to discuss what their plan of action would be. "Well, maybe we should investigate that huge light source," Knuckles suggested as he pointed off to the orange beacon. "I bet you that a huge power source must be powering that thing."

"Huge power source, maybe; but it's not our emerald," Ghost claimed, pointing in the opposite direction where a blue beam was shot from the top of another fortress. "It's just a beacon of some kind. Nothing extraordinary."

Silver began looking back and forth between the lights and sighed, shrugging. "So, if it's not powering either of the lights… where is it?" the hedgehog questioned.

Before anyone had time to think up an answer, Tails shouted out, "This is incredible!"

Everyone looked over to the kit, who was still observing the floating rocks studiously. They all gathered around and found that the kit had picked into one of the rocks, revealing a purple crystal core. "Um… what's so incredible about it, Tails?" Knuckles decided to ask.

"These stones have a crystal inside them that's made of a material that can neutralize the effects of the planet's gravity," Tails said. "Not only that, it gives the rock a much larger gravity so it can sustain its own stability."

Though the kit was excited about his discovery, the confused look he received from his comrades caused him to chuckle. "Um, let me show you what I mean," he said before jumping onto one of the floating rocks. "Because it supports its own gravity, I can do this," Tails explained while walking around the rock till his was standing upside down on the underside of the rock. "Pretty cool, huh?"

With the visual presentation being given, the entire group gave a bemused gasp and a few sighs of awe. "That is pretty neat," Thunder commented as he looked at the rock.

The short lived eureka was brought to an explosive end when the rock Tails was standing on suddenly shattered from the explosion of a cannon. The kit barely rolled just in time to land properly so that he wasn't hurt too bad. "What just happened?!" he shouted as he backed away from the place where the rock once was. All of a sudden, explosions wracked the fields where they stood, and great yelling could be heard, coming from directions of the beacons.

All of a sudden, what appeared to be Mobians began to clash in the midst of the field, bearing blades, maces, and all sorts of weapons. In the midst of the clashing, a lone wolf bearing orange lined armor and a war hammer came to greet the small group. "What is this?" he asked. "A lone group of wanderers in this plane of existence? From where have you come?"

Ghost stepped forward to answer for the shocked group of travelers. "We just got here from a different dimension," he said. "Who are you, and what is this place?"

The wolf heaved the handheld war hammer, swinging it around by the strap as he answered, "Why, this is Valhalla of course! Dimension of war to hold back Ragnarōk!" The wolf then smirked with pride and stood tall. "I am Thor, a god in this dimension. And I hereby declare you allies of the Einherjar!"

^/\^|v\/v

Soleanna Castle

September-22-2506

14:36 Mobius Time

Princess Elise of Soleanna sat at her throne, giving a low sigh. She gave a distant glance out the nearby window, wondering for a moment if _he _would ever return. By _he_, of course, she meant Sonic the Hedgehog, the hero of Mobius, with the ability to run faster than the speed of sound. The hedgehog had thwarted the mastermind Eggman's plots on many occasions, and Elise could still remember the time when he obliterated Solaris and saved the entire world.

A blush met her cheeks as she remembered the kiss she had given to him that revived Sonic from death—with the help of the chaos emeralds, of course. Her feelings for him were strong; she knew that. She wondered sometimes if he ever felt the same about her, and deep down in her heart, Elise felt that he had a special place for her somewhere in his own heart.

She was aroused from her thoughts when a lone human walked into the throne room, his black bangs covering his green eyes partially. He bowed to the princess, going down on one knee. Subtle mechanical whirs in his joints signified that the man was mostly cyborg by that point in time. "Princess, I looked into the disturbances you asked me to gather information on," he began.

Elise smiled at the man and nodded, standing up and walking toward him. "Walk with me, Jack," she said to the man. "I need to get out of here for a while."

Jack nodded and stood up from his bow and began to walk with Elise around the courtyard. "The new retinal augmentations are working great, your highness," he reported. "I never knew how helpful seeing through walls could be until now."

"I'm glad to hear that," Elise said as she glanced around at the flowers. "So, what are your reports?"

"I have satellite imagery that shows that there has indeed been a strange change in the levels of chaos energy," he concluded. "An _unnatural _change."

Elise then sat down on a bench in courtyard, leaving a space for Jack to sit down. "Have you identified the cause?"

As the bionic human took his place next to her, he gave a subtle nod. "I believe I have," Jack said as he splayed out a few papers. "Interlopers in the time stream. Eye witnesses identified John Murray and Silver the Hedgehog disappearing through a portal in the cemetery two days ago."

"Silver…" Elise mumbled to herself as she remembered the psychokinetic hedgehog that had pulled her out of a secret laboratory after she had been sealed with Iblis many years ago. She no longer carried that burden now. "And you said John was involved too?"

Jack nodded and he stood up suddenly. "Scientists have begun studying the nature of chaos energy so they can develop a time machine," he said. "I plan to use this to go after John once it is incorporated into my augmentation system. Shall I pursue them?"

Elise thought for a moment before getting up and going back to the throne room. She gave one final glance back to Jack before she said, "Go ahead."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: It has taken a long time, but yes! I am still alive and kicking! Here's the next chapter guys. Extra cookie points if you point out the Meme reference.**

**Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything from Sega, Sonic Team, Sonic, or Sonic '06. The following characters are property of Nobel Six: Chameleon, Imperious, Ghost, Samantha. The following character is property of Gnat1: Thunder**

**Claimer: I claim and own this plot and any characters not affiliated with the above mentioned.**

* * *

Valhalla

August-20-1122

9:09 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Hypnotize" by: System of a Down**__]_

Loud huffing sounded; a figures feet pounding against the land of his thoughts. He ran, not knowing quite where he was going yet. He had little control, only knowing that he was running away rather than toward; escaping as opposed to racing. The kit took a glance behind him, his breathing unsteady and his heart pumping. He felt the blood pound in his ears, creating an almost white noise. He could still hear a cutting, deep voice penetrate all his thoughts.

"**Seed of destruction, realize your place."**

Tails gasped, feeling himself suddenly trip in the darkness. He stumbled onto his hands and feet when he suddenly saw something begin to break through the ground. The kitsune rolled away as massive, thorny vines sprouted from the ground. In the middle of the bundle of vines was a voluptuous, dark green bulb. Though fast as he ran, propelling himself to higher speeds with his rotating tails, he was unable to escape the ensnaring vines. Restrained at the limbs, the kit was suspended in the air. All the while, the sharp thorns dug into his skin and left a pain in all his limbs that lingered.

"**Why do you run from your fate? Where does it get you?"**

Red, slitted eyes materialized in front of the kit, glaring him down and sending a shiver down his spine. He could only wait there as the eyes circle him; blood began to pour down his body from the thorns.

"**You think your friends will help you?" **the voice questioned him. Tails could now realize that the source of the voice was that of the eyes. **"They think the same of you that everyone else does. You're worthless; a detriment to the team; a dirty mutant with no real purpose in society than to be freak."**

Tails felt a lump in his throat. He didn't trust the voice, and he wouldn't let him eat at his thoughts. "That's not true…" he groaned, biting into his lip from the pain. "They wouldn't do that to me."

"**Grow up!" **The kitsune felt a fist in his gut that he couldn't see, feeling himself cough a bit. He gasped, groaning as his stomach reeled from the pain. **"This is the **_**real **_**world, child. People don't care****about **_**you**_**. They care about what they can **_**get **_**from you."**

"That's not true!"

"**Believe me child; I have been in your position before." **Tails looked up into the alluring eyes, frowning a bit. **"I too have been dejected for whom I am, but I am worshiped for what I can do."**

Tails gave a sigh, trying to discern his feelings. "What does any of this have to do with me?" he questioned, giving the voice a bit more leeway.

A deep, almost evil laugh pierced the darkness. **"You may have yet to realize your purpose, kit. Believe me though; I have my eyes on you," **it said. **"There is no point in running from what is to be your fate. Come and join the destruction."**

All at once, Tails noticed a light from below and he glanced down. Panic washed over him when he noticed that a harshly burning fire of red and orange colors raged from below.

"**Come join me, kitsune."**

Tails screamed when he felt the fire reach him.

"**Accept your fate."**

He began to black out from the pain and fear as he jerked around. The pain was minor only to his fear as he shook intensely, begging for release.

"**Realize that you are mine."**

_[Stop Music]_

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin."—__**Aesop**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Seed**_

**^/\^|v\/v**

After the foreboding dream had passed over, Tails awoke with a start and a cold sweat. His heart pounded in his chest and he made sure to check over his body to make sure it really was just a dream. _So real… _he shakily thought as he looked over to his side to see that Silver was kneeling right beside him. "You had us all startled for a while, Tails," he said with a chuckle. "You were rolling around and moaning for a while. Had a bad dream?"

Tails blankly nodded as he looked around, noticing that everyone was gather around him. "Yeah; just a bad dream," he assured them, though it seemed to be more of an attempt to calm himself.

"My new comrades; is your friend feeling under the weather?" Thor said while approaching with a gaudy gait. He knelt beside Tails, offering a hand to the youngling. "Come child. Surely you have more resilience in your younger years than us old men do?" Tails only smiled, a repressed chuckle escaping his lips at the wolf's speech. Without more words, the kit grasped Thor's paw and stood up slowly. Thor's eyebrows furrowed, as if concentrating on something otherworldly; it left him with a vacant stare. "Bad dreams are omens here. I'd take heed to prevent your dream from becoming a reality."

Another solemn nod from the fox. "Uh… yeah; thanks."

"Mister Almighty here gave us a tour of the fortress while you were out," Knuckles said as he walked a fair distance away. He looked back—having expected to be followed—and he beckoned to them. "Well? Are you coming?"

This prompted Tails to follow, hanging right behind his heels like a well-whipped dog. The others followed short after. Knuckles led them through the corridors of the great stone fortress, which Thor boasted most heavily about. He spoke much of the great castle's thick, impenetrable walls; of its grand spires and the lookout roof. It was there that Knuckles was leading them.

When they had breached beyond the walls of the castle and onto the rooftop, they all once again took in the vast, ravaged battlefield. A dull brown slated the plain of dirt and spires of rock jutted out randomly, as if they had been sprinkled like pebbles by a child's hand. The strange, floating rocks remained still, gyrating around their center as they floated amid the dust.

"What a weird place," Silver mused. His gaze wasn't fixed much on the scenery, nor was it on any of the floating rocks; no, his attention was drawn to the blue beacon in the distance, and the equally large fortress; lined with grooves embedded with Lapis Lazuli: a fine, blue crystal that made up the exterior design for the fortress.

Thor nodded and patted Silver's shoulder. "I see you have spotted the base of our enemies," he said, heaving a great sigh. "We have suppressed the Ragnarōk for many years now, but it almost seems as though they have become stronger; something our diviners have not seen. We believe they are receiving help from beyond this plane. Have you any information on our distant enemy?"

As the anachronistic travelers gazed out, unto the field, a new spectacle began to unfold. Crystalline, blue creatures exited the gates of the opposing fortress; which they assumed to be Ragnarōk. However, yet more forces arrived from a gaping black gorge in the sky: black creatures covered head to toe in iron armor. They appeared reptilian, but they're constantly rippling form seemed to suggest that they were apparitions of energy.

"I have a good idea," Ghost remarked as he gave Silver a pat on the back. He turned and walked away, the others looking off in his direction.

"Where's he going off to?" Thor asked, a bit confused by what had transpired. The wolf god watched as the unfamiliar human walked into the castle, his feet pounding against the stone as if with a purpose.

Thunder gave a firm nod and turned back to see the amassing enemy. "He's going to gather the soldiers," he said, as though he knew exactly what was going on. "He needs to fight."

^/\^|v\/v

Marching sounded from outside the fortress that belonged to Thor and his men. The blue-armored Ragnarōk creatures approached with gauntlets of cold, beryl steel over their alien hands; a sharp, broad long sword in their possession. Fighting alongside the Ragnarōk were black, draconic creatures that amassed from the dark abyss in the sky; their forms masked by the suits of armor they wore.

From among the combined forces, a lone chameleon dressed in a black body suit and sporting all sorts of metal weapons stepped forward. He snapped a small amplifier onto the collar of the body suit and he spoke with a booming voice. "We know you're in there!" he said. "Come out now and surrender your Sol Emeralds to us, and we will leave for now. Resistance is futile! All your base are belong to us!"

Within the castle, Chameleon's voice echoed throughout the halls. Tails grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms. "He didn't say it right," he mumbled, receiving a quick slap on the back. "Hey, what was that for Knuckles?"

The echidna in question pointed the kit back toward the gates of the fortress. "Focus, kid," he ordered. "The enemy is not going to sit there while you give them a grammar lesson. We have to lead these guys into battle, remember?"

Tails took a nervous glance behind him, and at the hundreds, if not thousands, of men that had gathered before them; men that were brought by means of the Valkyrie into this world—the way that was meant to be. Tails realized now that they had arrived in this world by an unnatural method: via a space-time distortion itinerary. He looked forward, back at the gates as they slowly opened up.

_[Now Playing: __**"Master of Puppets" by: Metallica**__]_

The vast Ragnarōk army lay before them, causing mouths to gape open at the mere sight of its might. Thor's army quivered with nervousness; they shook with excitement; they gripped their weapons shakily, yet firmly. A grim grimace rode on Ghost's face as he stepped forward. "I thought I might find you here, Chameleon."

The addressed reptilian ninja blinked his eyes to focus on the blue-eyed human that had stepped forward. He remembered his gruff voice and the tattered trench coat with a smirk. "You haven't changed a bit, Jonathon."

Silence crossed them as wind blew between the two armies. Chameleon breathed a hefty breath before cracking his knuckles. "Yes, you're still the same love struck, vengeful fool I saw on the day I kidnapped that girl," he taunted the human. He could see a new fire quelling within Ghost and he gave a victorious smirk. "What was her name…? Samantha I believe it was?"

The blonde-haired rebel snapped in his animosity; his rage flaring and boiling over. Ghost reached into the pockets of his trench coat and snagged a few throwing knives. With great skill, he shot the daggers off at Chameleon, though the reptile only rolled to the side and dodged them, as if having seen them coming. The knives instead struck targets behind the intended one, downing several with ease. It was with this that the bonds of silence were severed and both sides charged at each other.

Even as Silver led his platoon uneasily into war, they seemed to take more charge of themselves than he did of them. "I knew I wasn't meant to command," he muttered to himself as he chucked stones at the Ragnarōk. A quick glance over to the sidelines though, and he noticed that Ghost and Chameleon were exchanging fists in a one-on-one situation. "Shouldn't we go help him?"

Thunder answered after lunging at one of the shady soldiers sent by Imperious, having eradicated the smoky warrior. "Nah, John has a score to settle," he said, patting the futuristic hedgehog on the back and advising him not to get in the way. "Besides, John can handle himself."

And handle himself he did; Ghost had drawn a small stiletto from his leg holster to combat Chameleon's kunai. The two clashed together, struggling to gain the upper hand as they jumped back and forth, slashing at each other with their daggers. Ghost grasped Chameleon's wrist when he had been stabbed at, twisting Chameleon's arm so he could plant a fierce kick into the reptile's ribs.

Ghost dug another throwing knife out of his trench coat and flicked it at Chameleon, forcing the ninja to roll to the side. _He's gotten better, _Chameleon mused before throwing one of his own kunai to deflect an incoming dagger.

When he looked over to see where Ghost had gone, he couldn't find his opponent and he swished his head about, looking for where he had gone. It was only when a shadow was cast over him that he looked up to find Ghost diving down at him, about to plant a knife in his skull. As fast as he could react, Chameleon back-flipped and shot his leg up in hopes of catching Ghost in the chin. He was only off by a mere mark, unarming Ghost of his knife with the kick.

Ghost gave a groan as he flipped to land correctly, catching himself with his hands and seeing Chameleon smirk, flipping around the human's stiletto in his hands. "You've gotten better, John," said Chameleon; a dark chuckle rising from his lungs. "But not good enough."

In the moment of his small talk, Chameleon felt a stab of pain in his shoulder. He gasped, jumping back and looking down at the dagger lodged in him. The very same stiletto that he was carrying moments ago was covered in a mysterious blue glow. He looked up to find Ghost's eyes and hands emanating the same aura. "Y-you! But how?" Chameleon shouted in disbelief. "I thought only the hedgehog possessed those capabilities."

Chameleon gave another gasp when the bloody knife was tugged out of him and returned to the hand of its master. Ghost gave a smirk as he saw the blood and he returned the glare to his ninja enemy. "Yes, Silver is the only one of us who uses psychokinesis. However, you failed to take my own powers into account," the blond-haired human said with almost a heroic tone. "I have the ability to copy other abilities." _Even if it's only for a limited time, _he thought to himself. He knew that he'd only last one more use before he had to recopy Silver's powers.

Chameleon grunted to himself, knowing that if he didn't end this soon, he'd face a battle he wouldn't win. As his soldiers fell all around him, the reptilian ninja kept himself aware that beating Ghost wouldn't win the war. It was with great dishonor that closed his eyes and focused. _Master, _he spoke in his mind, as if hoping someone would hear him. _Give me the strength to stop my enemy, at least for this time._

As Chameleon gave his prayers, Ghost kept himself focused on retaining his copied powers, raising a vast array of knives into the air by means of this psychokinesis. He had them all pointed directly at his enemy. "You… You took her from me!" he accused Chameleon in his pent up anger. "If you think I'll let you off, you're dead wrong!" With deadly accuracy and deadly speed, the knives were cast directly at Chameleon, nearing him and ready to slice the reptile into shreds.

"_**I have heard your plea, Dovahkiin. Now, unleash my fury on them and let them know fear!"**_

"**Fus Ro Dah!" **Chameleon suddenly shouted, his eyes glinting with a piercing red sheen as he let out an explosive force from his lips with his powerful Voice. The knives couldn't even touch him as they were blasted away with the bone shattering force.

Ghost widened his eyes, raising his arms as the fierce shockwave pushed him back. "What is this?!" he shouted, groaning as he tried to peer through the dust. When it settled, the human could see Chameleon with his lips shimmering like fire.

Chameleon's fierce glare was followed by another loud Shout, **"Yol Toor Shul!" **This time, an inferno seemed to erupt from his throat. Blasts of fire were fired directly at the unsuspecting human, who only managed to save himself by blocking his face with the fire resistant trench coat.

_Where did all this sudden power come from? _Ghost wondered as he rolled to the side, dodging the waves of heat and fury that flew by him. He felt the oxygen snuffed from the air as the balls of flame whizzed by him.

"**Wuld Nah Kest!"**

In the instant of having heard the Shout, a breeze wisped by Ghost and a laceration across his chest came soon after. Ghost barely registered the speed as he whipped his head around, noticing that Chameleon had sped right past him.

Even though the tables were balanced, even turned when Ghost noticed that all of Chameleons wounds were healed, it ended abruptly when the reptilian ninja repeated his Shout and vanished away. Ghost wondered for a moment if the reptile would come back, and he clenched his fists in regret knowing that he wouldn't. He was brought back to the world when his shoulder was grasped. "Get your head in the game, man!" Thunder reprimanded him.

The human gave a blink and looked around, remembering the war that was still going on. "Oh yeah, right," he groaned as he fell back behind friendly lines to recuperate.

"So, how did your sparring match go Spook?" Knuckles joked, even getting a laugh out of Ghost himself. However, as soon as he quieted, the blue eyed human's expression turned downtrodden. "I guess it didn't go so well," the echidna muttered while standing up slowly.

Silver patted Ghosts shoulder, gesturing back to the orange fortress. "C'mon. Tail has an idea for how we can get rid of Ragnarōk," he assured his partner while they all retreated back behind the walls of the fort.

"And this idea would be what?" Ghost questioned when they were finally to safety, hoping that the army on the other side would be able to handle themselves.

Tails seemed to have no concerns however as he strode along the hall, coming to the stairwell. "We plan to divert some power from the beacon to take out the Ragnarōk beacon," he said as he reached into his tail fur for his yellow Chaos Emerald. "I have the yellow emerald. Thunder has his white one, Knuckles always carries his around, and we have the white Sol emerald. We plan to use our knowledge and experience of chaos energy and the emeralds to divert the energy and take out their beacon."

Of course, Ghost was skeptical of the concept. "What would taking out the beacon do?"

"The Ragnarōk are creatures that spawn from the energy of the beacon," Tails said. "I discovered that when I fought them; that their numbers just kept increasing and increasing at will. We'll be overrun if we don't cut out their power source."

Ghost didn't question any further when they reached the pinnacle, standing under the awesome might of the huge pillar of energy. It forced Tails to squint his eyes to even look at it. "Alright everyone; get to your positions!" he ordered as he began to funnel energy from the beacon into his Chaos emerald. When they had all gathered in front of the beam, they focused their energies. The four emeralds themselves began to float in the presence of the energy. As energy gathered, the gems of power began to spin around in a sort of circle, soon becoming a ring of blinding light. With a nod to all the others, the chaos controllers shouted out, **"Chaos Superblast!"**

When the energy was simultaneously released during the shout, a huge amount of energy poured out of the orange beacon and funneled out as a laser beam, striking the blue beam of the opposing fortress. With a massive explosion and a wink of light, the blue beacon was snuffed out, as was the Ragnarōk army.

Thor looked upon the Ragnarōk army as they fell. The blue veins running through their armor ran dry before the mythical army crashed to the ground in ashes and smoke. Thor heaved his massive war hammer into the sky and gave a mighty smirk. "We have won this day, comrades!" he shouted, arousing a cheer from his men. "We have defeated our enemy and saved Valhalla forever more!"

As the crowd of Valhalla soldiers cheered in revelation, Tails grumbled under his breath, breathing hard from having used all the energy to cast the laser. "We did all the work," he bitterly muttered.

He hence received a reprehensive slap on the back from his red echidna companion. "Not all the work, kiddo," he reminded him. "They held off Ragnarōk so that we could have the time to work our magic. It was a team effort."

Tails gave a soft sigh and nodded. "Well, yes… I suppose you're right."

Silver was quiet however, sitting on the edge of the fortress' pinnacle and looking on toward the horizon. Many thoughts ran through his head, and he was shocked from his thoughts when he felt a hand ruffle his head. "Hey, what's the matter? Got something on your mind?"

The white hedgehog looked up to spot the green lion that sat down next to him. "I've got a lot on my mind, Thunder."

"Then speak it."

Silver gave a sigh. "I get this feeling that there had to be a Sol Emerald somewhere. I thought it was powering Ragnarōk's fortress for sure."

"So?" asked Thunder, still not quite understanding what Silver was getting at. "Perhaps a Sol Emerald isn't here after all?"

"No, that can't be right. The Sol Emerald I had has been reacting every time I point it toward the Ragnarōk fortress."

Thunder blinked a bit and crossed his arms. "Maybe you're reading into this too much," he suggested. "If it wasn't powering Ragnarōk, then where is it now?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

_[Stop Music]_

^/\^|v\/v

Castle Usha

September-24-2506

18:15 Mobius Time

Imperious held within his hands the object of his enemy's greatest desire. The very object that they had tried to keep from them, he had still managed to obtain. He held the small, blue gem; so pristinely cut, as if designed by the Ancient Walkers themselves. He smirked, holding it between his claws, watching how its light somehow lit up the dank darkness of his castle. "Very nice work, Chameleon. You have done very well and proven yourself yet again."

Even with the praise that he had received, Imperious could see how rundown his protégé was. Imperious lifted the corners of his lips and stepped down from his throne. The pentagram on his chest glowed intensely before initiating a form of arcane magic, shrinking the mighty dragon to a size that was less intimidating. With this, he approached his student. "What seems to be bothering you, Chameleon?" he asked, hanging his arm over the reptile's shoulder casually, as a friend would do. "You must be tired. Using the Thu'um takes a lot out of you at full power."

Chameleon only shook his head. "I shouldn't need to call on you for your power. That's the same as doing nothing myself," he muttered. "Are you sure that you're right about me? That I am all you say I am?"

Imperious only chuckled at the ninja's lack of self-assurance. With that he returned to his throne, regaining his oppressive girth. "Return to your dwelling, Chameleon. You need rest," he commanded. "And remember: I would not have any other ever take your place."

This high praise seemed to enlighten Chameleon, and he soon left. As soon as he was out of the hall, Imperious sat down on his throne, breathing out a smoky sigh. The grey clouds streamed through his nostrils as he pondered his young student. _Even with my help, he had excellent control over the Voice. His Thu'um has a powerful potential… _he thought, giving a smirk with his toothy maw. "Yes, Chameleon; you truly must be the Dovahkiin."


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Hey guys! I'm finally back with another chapter of Remnants of the Past. It took a while for me to come up with all the right twists, so I hope you appreciate it. *cough* There's a bit of dramatic irony near the end *cough*.**

**Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything of Sega, Sonic Team, Sonic '06, or other affiliated companies. The following characters are copyright of Nobel 6: Ghost, Samantha, Cynthia, Chameleon, Imperious. Thunder is copyright of gnat1. Music is copyright of respected owners. Please support all official releases.**

**Claimer: I claim and own this plot and all characters not affiliated with the above mentioned.**

* * *

Valhalla

August-20-1122

19:33 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"The Story" by: 30 Seconds to Mars**__]_

A great silence befell the time travelers when they had entered the Ragnarōk fortress. It was very much a mirror of Thor's Hall of the Fallen, and navigating it was quite easy for the war god. "Quite strange though," Thor muttered while he guided them. "Makes you wonder sometimes if Ragnarōk think that we're the ones attacking what they're trying to defend. Maybe we're the bad guys…?"

"Now's not the time for that kind of philosophy," Ghost said, giving a sigh as he looked about.

"Do you really think that the Sol Emerald will be in beacon power chamber?" Silver asked hopefully, running ahead in his own excitement. Another Sol Emerald found meant another step closer to Blaze for the young white hedgehog. "C'mon! Let's hurry!"

"Hold up, lad!" Thor said, giving a tired look as he ran after Silver. "We just won a war, after all."

Knuckles crossed his arms as he followed up with Tails, his eyes planted on Silver before the hedgehog turned round a corner. "I don't understand where that kid gets his energy from," the echidna mused with a grunt.

Tails shrugged and smiled. "You know, I think he's in love with Blaze. People do weird things when it comes to love," he said. Knuckles eyed the kit with an odd gaze, prompting Tails to blush and add, "Not that I would know. You know, that's just what I've heard."

"Sure Tails. Keep telling yourself that."

"No, I agree with Tails," Ghost said. Knuckles switched his gaze over to the towering blonde, raising his brow. "I mean, about when people do weird things for those they love. I think there's truth in that."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "You're joking. You're just talking about that girl that Imperious has got locked up, aren't you?" he claimed, chuckling when Ghost turned away to hide a blush.

"What about you Knuckles?" Tails asked, a bit curious by this time. "Don't you have someone that you love and care about?"

He normally stoic echidna suddenly turned beet red in the cheeks and turned away. "Oh, um… About that…" he muttered.

"I do remember someone that you like," Tails instigated, poking Knuckles' side. "Wasn't it that Tikal girl? But isn't she thousands of years old? She's dead now. I didn't know you were into necrophilia!"

"Shut up Tails!" Knuckles demanded.

Tails chuckled and gave a leer. "Oh, you're right. She's trapped in the Master Emerald," he said, snickering. "So you're in love with a rock."

"I said shut up!"

"Hey, cut it out you two," Ghost ordered, his brows knitted in irritation. "We're almost to the power core, so we're going to need to investigate it, which means we can't have you two _ninnies _arguing over your squabbles."

Reluctantly, Knuckles looked back over to Tails and gave a firm nod. Tails only replied with a lighthearted hum. As they approached the entrance to the vast room, with intricate designs and veins carved into the walls, they were struck with surprise to find that they had not only snuffed out the large beam, but what was left of the energy was hardly even a kindling spark. A small, hardly sustained glow of blue energy was all that remained in the energy chamber.

Silver frowned, looking into the chamber through thick glass. "That… that can't be," he muttered. Everyone soon gathered behind him to check out the small energy source. Silver used his psychokinesis to remove the panes of glass, sending them shattering to the floor as he reached inside. When his hand met the energy source, all it did was fizzle in his hands and then die out. "Where's the emerald?"

"It was probably already taken," Thunder mused as he stepped forward and gazed at the glittery remnants of the energy. "I found it hard to believe that even the Chaos Superblast could neutralize that beam."

"My thoughts exactly," Ghost agreed, looking over to Thunder. "It's almost like it just conveniently gave out, just as we hit it."

Silver looked at the chamber, then down to his hands. "We're too late…" he muttered, falling to his knees. "I can't believe it."

Tails looked over to Knuckles, concern written in his expression, and the echidna sighed. Knuckles walked up and patted Silver's shoulder. "We were too late once. We'll just get them back for it," he said with a sigh.

Silver looked up to Knuckles, shaking his head clear of darker thoughts and giving a nod. "Right, we'll get it back," he said, affirming Knuckles' confidence and taking hold of the echidna's hand, standing up. "We should move on."

Thunder nodded, already having opened up a swirling gate. "We should."

_[Stop Music]_

**^/\^|v\/v**

**~ (**_"__The problem in defense is how far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without."—__**Dwight D. Eisenhower**_**) ~**

_**Syaoron the Fox presents**_

_**Following the Events of Sonic '06**_

_**Accompanied by Various Music and Themes**_

_**Remnants of the Past**_

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Cracking Defense**_

**^/\^|v\/v**

Unknown Location

September-25-2506

-:-

_[Now Playing: __**"Lost in the Echo" by: Linkin Park**__]_

The team of anachronisms was dropped into a new world in no time. They stood on a translucent walkway, observing the strange new world. Walls of what appeared to be numbers whizzed around them. Though they were confused by the white wall of numerals, Tails took a quick gaze at them and blinked. "It's a system of binary code," he analyzed, discerned in his words.

It was at that time when a red wall of binary code flew toward them and entrapped them in a wide, circular area. "Binary code, Tails?" Silver asked, looking around at the red wall. Suddenly, from the red wall, a great serpent materialized and gave a resounding roar. "I guess that makes this…"

"The firewall," Thunder finished for him, prepping himself for the battle. "This thing thinks we're a virus, and it wants us out."

The binary serpent raised its head and gave a great roar, spreading its wings and rising and circling around above them. "I don't suppose any of you is gifted in long range attacks?" Thunder suggested as they stared up at the serpent. The serpent's eyes suddenly began to glow with dark red, and the hue of its scales shifted to a deeper red as Thunder's voice hit it. It circled around faster, becoming nearly a blur before hurling down a bolt of electricity at the lion.

Luckily for him, only his clothing was slightly singed before Knuckles pulled him out of the way. "Watch yourself," Knuckles told him, glaring up at the serpent. "How are we gonna get that thing out of the sky?"

"I'm on it, Knuckles," Tails told him, giving a thumbs-up and whirling his tails around, flying up to the serpent and dodging the occasional bolt of lightning. It wasn't till he was face to face with the behemoth that the kit realized just how big it was. "Um… Guys, I'm not gonna be able to take this thing out myself!" he shouted to them.

Silver heard his plea and nodded, looking over to everyone else and using his psychokinesis to float up toward the serpent. "Tails, I'm gonna hold it down. I need you to hit it with everything you got!" Silver shouted to Tails, holding his hands out to the serpent and surrounding it in a pale green energy. Though the beast struggled Silver somehow managed to hold it back, though he winced in doing so.

Tails flew higher up, suddenly turning back down and dashing toward the serpent. "Hold it there Silver!" he shouted in response as he came upon it. At the very last moment, Tails flipped and struck a fierce kick to the serpent, sending it to the ground when Silver released it from his grasp.

The ground quaked when the monstrous serpent hit. Ghost had to stumble back from the immensity of it. Knuckles however remained unfazed. The echidna smirked and cracked his knuckles. "Let's get this party started!" he shouted, launching himself at beast and thrusting powerful punches at the joints of the serpent's wings before it had recovered. When he made contact, the joints shattered into fragments of light and the remainder of the wings disintegrated. "Maybe that will keep you from flying," Knuckles growled when the serpent finally found its footing.

The serpent glared at Knuckles and thrust a claw out, snagging Knuckles across the side and sending him flying. Ghost caught the echidna before he hit the ground, and he noticed Knuckles sporting a gash on his side. "You're gonna want to stay low for a bit," Ghost suggested as he took his Jericho pistol from its holster and began to fire on the dragon, chipping off bits of red light from it.

The serpent finally steadied itself, despite their weak attacks. It looked around at them and located the hedgehog that had held it down for a short time and opened its mouth. From the gaping serpent's mouth, a charge was held before blasting out a great white laser. Silver gasped a bit and focused his psychic energy, teleporting a short distance away just before he was hit. "Darn… It just doesn't quit," he grumbled, frustrated by the binary serpent.

"Well, we can't give up just yet," Tails told him, grunting a bit as he dodged a swipe from the serpent's massive tail. The kit lunged forward with a strike, flipping around and whipping the side of the serpent with his namesake. The serpent responded with only a leering glare before slashing at the kit with a blue glowing claw. Tails was incapable of dodging in time and only held his arms up to his face to block before being thrown back.

Ghost checked to see if Tails could get back up, but he only sighed as he bandaged up the kit's bloodied arms. "Tails is down!" he shouted over to Thunder, who had just run up and sliced at the serpent and sliced with his own set of feline claws.

"Tails and Knuckles? Darn, this isn't getting any better," Thunder growled, backing away as the serpent suddenly reeled and stood on its hind legs, giving a great roar to the sky. Just as suddenly as it had seemed most threatening, the data that composed the serpent suddenly began to implode and combine into a small ball of red light, which just as quickly dissipated. "Um… What was that?"

_[Stop Music]_

Thunder sighed and looked around, clasping his hands together. "Thank goodness, it's gone."

"It could be coming back any moment, though," responded Ghost, looking around and watching as the red data that had beleaguered them slowly dissipated.

"Are they gonna be okay?" Silver asked, levitating the unconscious bodies of their comrades.

Ghost looked back and examined the bodies with his pale blue eyes. "They should be fine. They were just beaten and bruised a little," he assured the young hedgehog, ruffling his spines. "They're just sleeping right now."

Silver gave a tired sigh, feeling his energy sapped from him as the adrenaline died down. His vision darkened and the green power he used to levitate their partners was faltering. Thunder took quick notice and dived to catch Knuckles, Tail being caught by Ghost. "Whoa there, Silver. Maybe you should take a break too," Thunder advised him, grunting a bit as he tried to hold up Knuckles.

"Thunder has a point, hedgehog," Ghost said as he heaved the kit over his shoulder. "You shouldn't overuse your powers. It'll get you in trouble one day."

Silver groaned a bit as he was forced to stop trying to focus his power. He only then realized the fatigue that fighting the massive serpent had caused him and he gave a sigh. "I guess I could use a break," he mumbled under his breath.

They wandered around the space for some time, wondering what it was they would be looking for. "So, do you think Tails was right about this world?" Silver asked, looking around and buzzing networks of code that lined the wall. "You think we're really inside a computer?"

"Well, you never really know exactly where you'll end up with this kinda travel," Thunder remarked, interested by the glowing lights of the new world. "You gotta remember that we _did _end up in the legendary Valhalla last time. Anything can happen." Thunder smiled as he reached up to fish his hands through a passing stream of numbers. The numbers dissolved as they went around his hand.

"Yes, I must say, you figured everything out quite quickly," a high-pitched voice suddenly spoke from the river of numbers. Thunder backed away in surprise, yelping as he bumped into Ghost. The three looked at the swirling pool of numbers, watching as it slowly formed, bit by bit, into a rather wise looking owl. "Good evening to you, sirs," the owl greeted them with a bow. They continued to stare at the creature, befuddled by its sudden appearance. "We are one of the five artificial intelligences that run the computer you currently reside in. You may call us Alpha."

"You're very… forward," Silver commented, pushing his hand forward. As he expected, it fazed right through the owl. "It's nice to meet you, Alpha," he said with mild curiosity toward the strange entity.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience with the firewall," Alpha noted, giving a shrug. "Your comrades appear to have fought well. We meant to stop it earlier, but once it gets out of hand, that kind of thing happens. You see, our security systems have been searching for an interloper that has recently infiltrated our systems."

"Recently?" Silver asked. "Maybe they've come here for the Sol Emerald!"

Alpha stopped in his walking and glanced back at Silver. "Sol Emerald? We have no such thing here. Whoever has come here looking for that will be sorely disappointed." When the owl noticed and processed the downcast look that Silver gave, Alpha looked forward again and began walking. "However, if you are convinced that an object of such unknown origin could have appeared and not been detected, then by all means, continue your search."

Silver almost immediately perked up. "So, you're saying there's a possibility that it's here?"

"That's exactly what we have just said, yes."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?"

Ghost rolled his eyes and gripped Silver by the head. "Don't go bounding off anywhere yet, Casanova," he taunted him. "You're forgetting the anomaly. Alf just told us—"

"We believe we requested you call us _Alpha,_" the owl chimed in.

"Too bad, I'm going to call you Alf," Ghost remarked before looking back at Silver. "Alf just told us that there is an intruder. He's probably looking for the Sol Emerald too, and if that's so, then we can assume that Imperious sent him."

"Then that means that he could also be waiting to ambush us," Thunder mused. The lion glanced over to Alpha and nodded. "Where was the last place you detected the anomaly?"

"Sector fifteen, subunit A," Alpha uniformly answered. However, upon realizing that the newcomers hadn't any knowledge of the grid system, the owl's eyes lit up with a yellow glow. "Allow us to guide you there."

The AI owl flashed brightly and morphed into a small yellow wisp of light that shot off down the path. "I guess we follow him?" Silver asked, receiving a nod from the others before they ran off after it. "What do you think the intruder will be?_ Who _do you think it'll be?"

"More than any of Imperious' simpletons or lackeys, that's for sure," Ghost said, grunting as he readjusted Tails on his shoulders. He watched as the blip of light always seemed to stay a certain distance from them. "It could be Chameleon, and that would mean bad news for us."

"Chameleon?" Silver asked. "You mean that one guy who beat you back in Valhalla?"

"He did not _beat _me," Ghost protested. "He called on some… ungodly power and used it against me. I'm willing to bet Imperious was helping him."

Thunder raised his brow, and bit his lip as he stacked up the odds. "So you're saying that going up against Chameleon…"

"Right; it's like fighting Imperious himself," Ghost affirmed, nodding with a growl. "And I don't want to deal with either of them right now."

However, upon arriving at the scene, there appeared to be no infiltrator anywhere in sight. "Are you sure this is where you last saw the intruder?" Silver asked the wisp as it transformed into an owl once more.

"We believe that this is the last place the anomaly existed, yes," Alpha said confidently. "If the intruder were looking for anything in particular though, this would not be the room for him to go."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Subunit A in sector fifteen is only used for storage files, and we have yet to store anything of great importance here," Alpha explained nonchalantly as a holographic screen appeared before him. He used his wing to brush through the files. "We will continue our search for the intruder. But for now, you and your allies must rest. The fight with the firewall must have been tiring."

Silver frowned and looked at Knuckles and Tails, still being held respectively by Thunder and Ghost. "Yes. It was."

Alpha curved his beak in a bright smile. "Then come," he instructed them. "We have extra storage lodgings in the Community Network. I'm sure your small stature won't take up much noticeable space."

Silver blinked and leaned over to Thunder. "Did he just insult us?" he asked the lion.

"I'm… pretty sure he did," Thunder muttered, blinking.

Alpha appeared not to hear them as he pointed to a collection of structures that appeared to be a large city. "That's the Community over there. We have a whole bunch of shared space that you can take up. You'll only be a few kilos out of our several terabytes, so you can reside in whichever apartment you wish," he told them as they passed into the city. The bounds of the towers seemed infinite at times, due to their immense height.

"So, we can take any one of these apartments?" Ghost questioned as they passed by a few buildings that appeared to be housing other data.

"Yes," Alpha said. "Now, we normally have temporary files and opened data stored in apartments, but I'm sure you can find your place somewhere in there. We don't really get travelers like you around here often. Never at all, actually. You can of course see now why our firewall attacked you."

"Well… when you put it that way, you make us sound like the bad guys," Silver mused as they entered a small apartment. They didn't even need to check in as the system recorded their entrance.

Well, in the essentiality of the situation… yes, you were the _bad guys_," Alpha responded, simulating a nervous chuckle. "Any unidentified file that enters the system with an unidentified origin is immediately marked as a threat. You don't appear to be bad though." When they arrived at the room and Tails and Knuckles had been settled on beds, Alpha gave a nod. "I suppose I should give you time to recuperate."

Ghost gave a short nod, signaling to the owl that it was time for him to depart. Ghost looked back over to the weary hedgehog resting on the ground and their two comrades who were deep in unconscious slumber. "We could all use a little rest."

^/\^|v\/v

Soleanna

Spetember-25-2506

12:20 Mobius Time

_[Now Playing: __**"Skin to Bone" by: Linkin Park**__]_

Today would be a long day for River Carton. He knew that when he walked into the normally drab office building and noticed a large crowd of reporters growing and bombarding Princess Elise. Most questions—though they were difficult for him to pick up through the mass confusion—dealt with the temporal anomalies that were occurring.

Over the past few days, whole cities that were just as they were one day were completely different. Something had changed in them, and scientists had determined that the time stream had been altered. With their limitations though, they could neither pinpoint when the change occurred nor what caused it. It was becoming a massive epidemic, and based on historical evidence as well as current trends in changes, the great city of Soleanna was the next target.

Princess Elise looked about, seeing over the sea of reporters and she noticed River. She beckoned to him, and River's immediate response was a nod. He swam through the rough seas, being budged and nudged all along the way, and he finally managed to get across and pull Elise away from all the madness. When they were in the staircase shaft, bolting the doors locked, they began their trek upward. "I'm sorry for all the trouble they gave you, Princess. I should have gotten here earlier," River apologized, shaking his head in disapproval of the rowdy reporters.

"Oh no, it wasn't your fault, Mr. Carton," Elise prompted him, sighing. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you… I'm still in fear of our national security, after all."

River gave a hearty laugh. "That's all? I assumed you were going to reprimand me or replace me," he joked, giving a cough to reestablish his business attitude. "But yes, we are keeping things in tiptop shape. We have every detector of temporal energy running hot, and we haven't seen anything happening in Soleanna yet."

Elise blew a sigh and nodded, feeling relief wash over her. "Thank you, Mr. Carton," she said with a nod. "Need a remind you of the impending threat?"

River only shook his head. "No ma'am. I understand the necessary precautions that need to be taken to avoid crisis, and we are working as hard as we can. We have discovered something rather interesting though."

"Interesting?" asked the princess.

"Oh yes; quite fascinating," River said. "We have been comparing the wavelengths of power that radiate from the locations of the temporal epidemics, and we've discovered that they are all very similar, if not exactly identical wavelengths."

Elise started suddenly, a bit surprised. "You're saying that these aren't random?" she asked.

"That's exactly what I am saying, your majesty," River confirmed, out of the stairwell and into one of the office corridors. "As a matter of fact, we discovered something else very interesting. The wavelengths of power emanating from the temporal epidemics match up perfectly with those from a Chaos Emerald."

Elise gasped a bit. "You're telling me that someone is jumping through time and causing this?" she asked. She looked away and sighed. _Perhaps it is a good thing I sent Jack after them after all…_

"Exactly, milady," River concluded. "We are doing whatever we can to stop anything else from happening, but considering that other living beings are causing this, we have no idea what could happen."

Elise gave a firm, solemn nod and turned away. "Thank you, Mr. Carton. I believe I have the information I came here for. I will no longer get in the way of your business."

"It was good seeing you again, your majesty."

Upon Elise's departure, he heard the wailings of the crowd on the first floor rise again. "Curses, Solaris," he muttered under his breath. "The Princess sure does have it tough these days."

He took up a cup of coffee that his secretary had prepared for him and finally sat down in his office. He looked at the name plate on his desk and smiled. It felt nice to be called the Head of State Defense. He did as he did every morning and dialed down to the computer lab. "Everything alright down there?" he asked. "Give me a diagnostics report."

"Sir, we appear to have multiple anomalies in the system."

River blinked and looked at the phone, wondering if he was hearing that correctly. "_Multiple _anomalies?" he asked, receiving an affirmative answer. "Well, are they of concern?"

"No sir. They don't appear to be engaging any tasks that could detriment the system as of yet."

River sighed and nodded. "That's good," he said as he hung up. "I would hate to see the defenses of the greatest city around crumble."

_[Stop Music]_


End file.
